


PA to the Mayor

by raeinspace



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-20
Updated: 2014-04-20
Packaged: 2018-06-06 19:52:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 50,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6767587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raeinspace/pseuds/raeinspace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Regina posts a job advert for a new PA. Set before Emma's 28th birthday, AU (because no-one questions how Emma gets to the town while it's cursed). Eventual SQ,</p>
            </blockquote>





	PA to the Mayor

Chapter 1.

Emma kept her head down as she sipped at her drink in the crowded diner. The last thing she wanted was attention from the wrong crowd. She didn’t know why August had insisted on meeting here, but at the moment she could barely afford to pay her rent. Just buying the drink emptied the change from her purse and the smell of the food made her feel even hungrier. She had tried to make the hot chocolate last, but it was down to the bottom of the cup when he finally turned up.  
Emma knew she owed him. He had tried to help her find a place to live and a couple of part-time jobs to help support her. She refused to take money from him, knowing he had a guilty conscience for leaving her alone in the foster system when they were just children. It was confusing, because swore they weren’t related, but still felt responsible for her. Something about promising his father, and wanting to put things right.  
“I found you a job.” August told her, handing her a small square of paper.  
Emma skimmed the details, raising her eyebrows. “A PA? What’s that?”  
“Glorified secretary. Means you work directly for one person as their assistant.”  
“I don’t have any experience.”  
“You know how to use a computer right?”  
“Yes, just the basics, typing and emails like everyone else.”  
“Well this is perfect for you. It’s a small town, gets you out of the city, decent pay. They won’t expect much, they don’t get a lot of visitors and the adverts been there for ages. What have you got to lose?”  
Emma turned the piece of paper over. “It’s too far.”  
“I’ll take you on my bike. If you get the job I’ll give you… lend you the money to transport all your stuff. I know you don’t like to take my money so we’ll call it a loan. Seriously Em, even if you just take it to get some experience you can quit in a few months and still put it on your Résumé.”  
That would mean a better chance when she applied for jobs in the city, but who would hire her? On the other hand, it was a break from her small apartment and a chance to see more of the country. Emma ran a hand through her hair as she considered it.  
“My next shift’s in three days.” She told him.  
“I’ll have you back in time, I promise.” He quickly calculated the cost of the aeroplane ticket, just in case.  
Emma folded up the job advert and tucked it into her pocket. “You seem awfully sure about this job. Do you know Storybrooke well?”  
“I’ve ridden through the town a couple of times.” August dodged the question.  
How could he tell Emma that this was where she was supposed to be. He still hadn’t worked out how to tell her about the curse and her parents. Sometime magic had a way of working things out. He had to trust that this was the way everything was supposed to happen.  
“Let me buy you lunch while I tell you more about it.”  
“Just this once. If I get the job you can come to visit and let me buy you lunch.”  
August stood up. “Deal. The diner’s food is great. They’ve…”  
“Just order this lunch, then come and tell me more.” Emma begged as her stomach growled.  
Smiling August took a quick glance at the menu, then back down towards Emma. “Usual?”  
“Yes, please.”

Chapter 2.

Emma paced up and down the corridor outside the mayor’s office. August had not told her that the job was so high-profile. There was no way she would get it. She just had to count this as interview experience and be grateful that he was paying for the petrol to travel them all the way here and back.  
She had been waiting over half an hour. Apparently the job interview had been scheduled after a town meeting and it had run on longer than expected. A clerk had pointed out a water cooler down the hall and asked if she wanted a tea or coffee while she waited. Emma had politely declined.  
She hated the waiting. It gave her time to worry about all the things she might forget to mention and if the mayor would just take one look at her Résumé and laugh her out the front door.  
“Come on Swan.” She tried to encourage herself. “You’ve faced worse than this. There’s no way a small-town mayor is going to be as scary as a high-school full of kids you don’t know.”  
The doors opened and two people walked towards her, busy in conversation and carrying a small stack of paperwork each. Emma recognised a sheriff’s badge on the man. He was good-looking, wearing casual clothes and hanging on his companions every word. The woman beside him… Emma had to look twice as she approached. She was dressed in smart business clothes which would have made any other woman appear unapproachable, but when she smiled at the sheriff’s words her face softened and Emma took a step towards her without realising it.  
“Ah yes.” Regina said as she noticed her waiting. “You must be the one o’clock appointment. Sorry I’m late.” She turned to the sheriff. “Thank you Graham, I can take the papers from here. If you’d like to follow me Miss Swan we can begin the interview straight away.”  
Graham opened the office door for her, holding it for Emma as well once Regina had gone inside.  
“Good luck.” He said before closing the door.  
Emma looked around the mayor’s office. It was a little bare of personal decorations, but there was a small plant on the windowsill. Everything appeared tidy, paperwork was neatly stacked and the pens were all perfectly upright in their holder.  
“If you’d like to take a seat I’ll just get your Résumé and take a few notes while we talk.”  
“Sure… I mean, thank you.”  
Regina sat down at her desk, opening the top drawer and taking out a manila file. She glanced inside to check that she had the right Résumé and then turned over to a crisp new page on her notepad.  
“Now, I see you haven’t had any experience working in an office before?”  
And so the interview began. Emma felt her energy waning as Regina asked her question after question, her answers gradually failing to match the mayor’s obvious expectations for a PA. Eventually Regina put her pen down on the desk and looked up at Emma.  
“Do you have any questions about the position?” She asked.  
“No, but I think…” Emma blurted out. “If you give me this chance you won’t be disappointed. I can learn anything you think I should know and I would work really hard.”  
“I’m sure that you are aware this position has been vacant for a long time now. Some believe that is because I am too particular about who I will employ. If the truth be known, you are the first applicant.”  
“I am?” Emma looked hopeful.  
“This is a small town. We don’t have many new faces and the people are set in their ways. They are correct about one thing, and that is that I demand the 100% from my staff. The other clerks are general town employees; none of them work directly for me, but I am still the mayor. If you accept the position, they will also answer to you for additional duties you wish to delegate to them.”  
“You’re offering me the job? That’s it?”  
“On a short-term trial basis, to see if you are as quick to learn as you say.”  
“When do you want me to start?”  
“I assume you will need time to collect your belongings and say your goodbyes in the city. Would Monday morning be convenient?”  
“Yes, of course.”  
“There is a B&B in town, I believe they have vacancies if you wish to move there on a temporary basis until you can find a more permanent home. The office dress code is smart-casual. No jeans, no trainers, no hoodies. T-shirts are fine so long as they don’t have inappropriate wording or images on them. Once a month you will attend the town meetings with me. On those days you will wear smart clothes only.”  
“Got it.”  
Regina stood up and walked Emma to the door. She held out a hand and Emma shook it as she glanced out into the hall.  
“It was nice meeting you Miss Swan.”  
“Call me Emma.” She said, eager to be off to tell August the good news.  
“I will see Monday.”  
Regina closed the door and Emma forced herself not to run down the corridor in her excitement. She had a job. A grown-up job, in an office and she had to wear smart clothes. Sure it was a trial basis, but she’d soon show the mayor how well she could work. Emma practically skipped down the front steps to where August was sitting on his bike.  
“No luck, huh?” He smiled as he spoke.  
Emma just stuck her tongue out at him. “Trial basis.”  
“Told you.”  
“How soon can you get my stuff sent over?”  
“When do you start?” He figured he could borrow a truck from some friends and drive her down, given a couple of days notice.  
“Monday.” She told him.  
He quickly recalculated, now he’d have to hire one.  
“And I need to buy some new clothes, something suitable for a mayor’s PA.”  
Make that a large truck.

Chapter 3.

Emma picked up two coffees on her way into the office. She’d been Regina’s PA for a month now and they still hadn’t spoken of the trial period and when it was due to end. The coffees were part of her morning routine and Ruby walked over with her from the B&B in the mornings to help open up the diner her grandmother ran. She was so sweet, they had become fast friends when she found out Emma was from the city, always asking her questions and talking about how she wanted to go.  
Emma knocked on Regina’s door before entering. She had tried arriving first at the office, but Regina had told her not to worry, she liked to get in really early for the peace and quiet. As long as Emma brought the coffee in before 9am she was happy.  
“Just put it on the desk, thank you. I have a meeting in half an hour and might not be back this afternoon. There’s outgoing mail in the tray and I need you to collect some files from the archive rooms.”  
Emma nodded; taking out the small notepad she had learnt to carry with her at all times. She made notes and Regina gave her the instructions for the day and glanced longingly at the coffee on the desk. It was no use trying to drink it until Regina had finished because she would just miss something important.  
“Make sure you check everything is locked up when you leave. If you have any questions leave me a message on my cell phone and I’ll get back to you.”  
“Sure.”  
Regina waved her back out and Emma grabbed at her coffee. Somehow she missed it and knocked the drink over Regina’s desk, spilling it everywhere.  
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” Emma said grabbing at the tissue box on the desk and pulling out handfuls of tissues to try and mop up the coffee.  
“It’s fine.” Regina said, putting a hand out to stop Emma from further messing up the papers. “It was an accident. Why don’t you take the empty cups and I’ll sort out the desk.”  
“But your meeting…”  
“I’m allowed to be late once. I am the mayor.” Regina lifted the coffee stained tissues and threw them in the bin.  
Thank goodness she had already packed the documents for the meeting and kept her desk in order.  
“I’ll go and make you another coffee.” Emma offered.  
“No. Thank you. I’ll get something at the meeting.”  
Emma went out to her desk, cursing her clumsiness. When Regina finally left for her meeting, Emma pretended to be busy on the telephone and didn’t turn around. She knew Regina wouldn’t think it rude, but she still felt so embarrassed.  
~~  
That afternoon, when the meeting was finished, Regina looked at her watch and realised she still had time to get back to the office and drop off her notes. If she did that she could forget about them over the weekend. If she took them home she would only read through them again and consider typing them up. She just couldn’t get used to having a PA there to do such things for her. If it hadn’t been for that clerk discovering the extra money in the city funds for an assistant… well, it had happened and she had agreed to advertise the position. It had only taken how long, for someone to actually apply?  
Reinga pushed open the doors to the outer office and walked past Emma’s empty desk. She slipped into her office and closed the door to give herself some privacy. There were a few messages stuck to her computer monitor on post-it notes. They had run out of the official telephone message pads and were waiting for the new stationery order to be delivered. She browsed the messages, not bothering to remove them. There was nothing requiring her urgent attention so she just put her notes in the out tray on her desk and walked back to the door. Before she could open it she heard a burs to of music coming from a cell phone. She realised it had to be Emma’s, the ring tone was certainly unique. Emma picked it up and began speaking in hushed tones. Regina wanted to remind her that she wasn’t supposed to take personal calls while at work, except in an emergency or during her breaks, but she heard her name mentioned. Curiosity got the better of her and she started to listen to the conversation.  
“No, I don’t think I’ll be here long. Regina must think I’m an absolute idiot. This morning I spilt a hot drink over her desk. Yesterday I jammed the photocopier and smoke started to come out. She had to come over and switch it off so it didn’t catch fire. It got so hot I couldn’t remove the paper until it cooled down, and if she hadn’t been there to warn me I would have tried and probably burnt my fingers. I don’t know what I’m doing here…. Yes I know you think I’m meant to be here, that’s it’s good experience... She doesn’t really need me here, she’s so organised she could run the whole town single-handedly. A PA is supposed to have exams and things and what have I got?….That’s sweet but… I really should get back to work now… I’ll call you if I need a lift home.”  
There was an even longer pause, but Regina knew Emma hadn’t hung up yet.  
“What sort of a question is that? No August, I will not answer… Why? Because… look I’m not getting flustered because she’s so hot. Well yes of course I think she is, I’m not blind. What do you want me to say?” Emma laughed. “I know I don’t have to worry about mixed signals, Regina isn’t that kind of boss. She’d never tolerate relationships with a member of staff, I think there was a memo about inter-office romances in the induction pack, so you see I’m not running away from her. I’d be quitting before she could want to fire me. That sort of thing looks bad on a résumé, you know. Seriously, I have to go. I have a ton of work to get through before tomorrow. Call me later… okay, bye.”  
Satisfied that Emma had hung up, Regina walked back to her chair to sit down. It had been a very interesting conversation. She waited until she heard Emma leave her desk to make another cup of coffee before sneaking back out.

Chapter 4.

Regina checked her reflection in the mirror. She didn’t know whether she was making the right choice to wear the outfit. The red blouse, of course, suited her perfectly, hugging in at the waist and highlighting the red of her lipstick. Her skirt on the other hand, was the shortest she had ever worn or owned before.  
She had a date. Kathryn had called her at lunchtime telling her about this amazing guy she had met and asking her to come on a double date with them. Apparently the guy had a single friend he could bring along. As the date was already set up, Regina wasn’t given the chance to say no. Kathryn was going to pick her up and they would meet the guys at the Rabbit Hole for drinks first.  
Regina brushed at her hair again, trying to get it perfect, as she glanced at the clock on the wall slowly counting down the minutes until Kathryn was due to arrive. When she heard the doorbell it was such a relief to forget about any extra fussing she had to do and just go to answer the door. She was surprised to find Emma waiting there.  
“I’m sorry to disturb you, but I was hoping we could talk.”  
Emma had stuffed her hands into her jean pockets and as she spoke she looked up at Regina. As she took in the mayor’s appearance, her mouth opened slightly and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.  
“I’m sorry, you’re going out aren’t you?” She said, taking a step away from the front door.  
Regina glanced down at her watch. “Not for another ten minutes. Would you like to come in?”  
“Um, it can probably wait until tomorrow…”  
“Is it about work?”  
“Sort of.”  
“Then come inside and tell me. I’d rather know now.” Regina stepped back to allow her to enter and closed the door behind her. “We can sit in here. My friend’s picking me up but she’s usually late.”  
Emma sat on the immaculately white sofa and looked around the room. Clearly being mayor paid well. She took a deep breath.  
“I’m quitting.” Then, in a rush of words, she continued before Regina could speak. “I clearly can’t do the job and you’re spending more time helping me than I am making your job easier. I just wanted to tell you away from the office and ask how much notice I have to give.”  
Eavesdropping on the telephone conversation had prepared Regina for this. The thought of having to advertise and begin re-training someone else irritated her. She would rather forget the whole idea of a PA. Still, Miss Swan had been learning what she was taught and it was nice to work with someone who liked her. Other than Kathryn, she didn’t have any friends. She needed more time to come up with an idea.  
“I wish you would reconsider. You’re clearly very bright, I’m sure in time you’ll…”  
“No, it’s not fair on you. You’re already so busy with everything and it just wastes more of your time. I’ll work my notice and head back to the city.”  
“Very well. Shall we say until the end of the month? That’s a little under two weeks and it means you’ll be paid the full months wages.”  
The doorbell rang before Emma could answer.  
“That’s Kathryn.” Regina explained, standing up.  
Emma walked with Regina to the door. “Enjoy your date.”  
Regina opened the door and shook her head at Kathryn’s questioning look. She said goodbye to Emma and begged Kathryn to give her another five minutes to check her appearance before they left.  
Kathryn’s date was an accountant. He was handsome, a little arrogant and more than willing to talk about himself and his job. Regina felt a little sorry for her and tried to remember who he had been in the Enchanted Forest. Her blind date turned out to be Graham. Apparently Kathryn hadn’t bothered to get the details from her date about his friend before arranging everything. Regina was relieved. Although she hadn’t bothered rekindling her relationship with the ex-Huntsman once they arrived in Storybrooke, they worked together and she was comfortable spending the evening making polite conversation.  
At the end of the night, Graham walked her home and thanked her for a lovely evening. 

Chapter 5.

Regina waited for Emma to arrive at work. She had casually mentioned to Kathryn’s date about how hard it was to find someone trained as a PA to work for her. He had laughed at the idea, telling her that PA’s were just secretaries, like her clerks. Perhaps one of them could do the job?  
Regina tried to explain that they didn’t want the job. Even though they couldn’t remember the Evil Queen they were still a little afraid of her as the mayor. Then he mentioned apprenticeships. How their trainee accountants worked part time and studied part time getting the experience and qualifications they needed as they went. Regina asked him for more information. It sounded like a way to get Emma to stay.  
“I think I have a solution.” Regina told her as she accepted her coffee. “You lack the confidence and experience to carry out all of the tasks I’ve been setting for you. I’m not used to having a PA, so I’ve been giving you a variety of tasks to see what you can do rather than getting you caught up on one thing at a time.”  
“You could hire someone who already knows all this stuff.” Emma reminded her.  
“Or, you could take a few long-distance courses and delegate some of the work to the clerks. Perhaps spend some time with them to see how they do things.”  
“I don’t know…”  
“If you’re worried about the money for the courses, we could adjust your job title to apprentice PA. It might take some of the pressure off and the cost of the training course would be paid by the city. There are a few legal things, for example if you leave the job straight after finishing the course you have to pay the study fees back. Depending on how long you stay the repayments are reduced.”  
“Wow. You’d let me do that?”  
“As I said, I think you would be intelligent enough to pass the courses. I was speaking to my friends date about it last night. His firm does it all the time.”  
“Can I think about it?”  
“Of course.”  
Emma went back to her desk with a smile on her face. It was a real opportunity. If she did this she could go back to the city and get any admin job she wanted. She would just be tied to the one job, one town, for a fixed amount of time. Slipping her cell phone from her handbag and holding it under the desk, she sent August a quick text message, asking him to call her that evening. She would discuss it with him and then make a decision.  
~~  
The B&B was deserted when Emma arrived. She let herself in and went straight to her room, putting her phone on charge and waiting for August to call. When he did, he sounded happy for her and told her what a wonderful chance it was.  
“Are you sure it’s what you want?”  
“What else am I qualified for? I have to give it a go, but…”  
“But…?”  
“I’ll be stuck here for so long. What if I hate the job in six months or get bored? I’d have to repay the money….On the other hand, if I don’t do it I’ll have to leave Storybrooke.”  
“So?”  
“I’ve made friends.”  
“Regina?”  
“Pft. No, I’m just her secretary. I mean, I think she likes me, she’s offering me this training after all. There’s a girl at the B&B she works at the diner. We hang out. Maybe when you come and visit I could introduce you. I think you’d really like each other.”  
“I don’t like small towns. Too many nosy people.”  
“Everyone here is really nice.”  
“So, have you made a decision? Staying or going?”  
Emma looked around the room and then out of the window. It was dark and she could see the full moon clearly.  
“Staying… for now.”  
On the other end of the line, August smiled. 

Chapter 6.

Ruby had been watching Regina stare into her cup of coffee for half an hour. She was oblivious to everything, including the Sheriff who had also been staring at her since he arrived.  
“Go and talk to her.” Ruby told Graham as she topped up his coffee.  
He looked up at her as if surprised she had noticed what he was doing. “Thanks for the advice, but it’s Regina.”  
“So?”  
“She’s the mayor.”  
“I heard you ended up on a double date with her the other night.”  
Graham looked backed down at his coffee. “Mutual friends arranged it. I don’t think she sees me that way.”  
“Sometimes it takes time for love to grow. Why not offer to be friends and see if you can’t make her see you differently?”  
“We do work well together.”  
“Go and ask her what’s wrong. Talk to her.” Ruby grabbed a clean cup from the shelf. “Here, take her a fresh coffee, hers will be cold by now.”  
Regina looked up when Graham placed two cups on the table and slid into the chair opposite her. She smiled at him a little warily, hoping that he wasn’t going to ask her on another date. While she liked him, a lot, she wasn’t ready to date him. He reminded her too much of Daniel. A little rough around the edges, a good heart, and someone her mother would never approve of because he wasn’t of royal blood. Then again, he had betrayed her when she needed him. He had broken his word and that was something she couldn’t forget.  
“Long day at the office?” He asked, nudging one of the cups towards her.  
Regina suddenly realised that the coffee in her cup had gone cold and put it on the table. How long had she been sitting here lost in her thoughts?  
“No more than usual.” She answered, realising that she had paused too long.  
“Anything I can do to help?”  
“As Sheriff? No.”  
“As a… friend?”  
The word caused Regina’s shoulders to tense and she took a sip of her new coffee to give her time to think of a response.  
“I’m a good listener.” Graham told her.  
“Perhaps another time.”  
“Of course.”  
Regina stood up and put her coat on. “Thank you for the coffee.”  
“You’re welcome.”  
“I mean it. About talking another time. Today is just not a good day.”  
“I understand.”  
Regina quickly left the diner and headed home.  
~~  
Ruby knocked on Emma’s door and waited for her to open it. Emma had text her during her shift inviting her out for a few drinks.  
“I’m guessing you have important news.” Ruby said when Emma let her in.  
“Yes, it’s about work.” Emma grabbed her coat from the back of the door. “Let’s talk at the bar, though.”  
“Okay. Does it have anything to do with Regina moping about at the diner?”  
“Regina, moping?”  
“Well I overheard Graham ask her if something was wrong at work but then Leroy yelled that he had been waiting to be served for ages and when I looked back she was leaving.” Ruby confided as they went down the stairs.  
“She’s been busy lately. I think I’m causing her more work instead of helping.”  
“No way. She’d have fired you if you couldn’t do the job.”  
“Actually, she offered to get me the proper training so I can do it. That’s what I wanted to tell you. I told her I’d resign so she could find someone else and the next day she’d planned the whole thing.”  
“That’s amazing. So you’re staying?”  
Emma nodded as they left the B&B. “I told her I’d have to think about it, but yes, I want to stay.”  
Excited, Ruby hugged her. “Then let’s go celebrate.”

Chapter 7.

Regina nervously sorted through the pile of paperwork on her desk, reshuffling them as she waited for Emma to arrive. She had struggled to sleep, not knowing what the younger woman planned to do. When Emma knocked on the door to bring in her coffee, Regina raised some of the papers to hide the fact she had gone to bite her bottom lip.  
“Thank you, Miss Swan.”  
Emma paused as if expecting her to ask if she had made a decision but Regina didn’t want to hear the answer if it was no. So Emma told her anyway.  
“Did you mean what you said yesterday, about the job?”  
“Yes.” There was a little spark of hope in Regina’s voice as she lowered the papers.  
“Then I would like to accept.”  
“Excellent. I will make arrangements for the courses and speak to the clerks about allowing you to shadow them as they work.”  
“Do I need to sign a new contract?” Emma reached up with her left hand to tuck her hair behind her ear as she spoke.  
“I will check with HR.”  
“Okay. Is there anything else you need this morning?”  
“No, you can finish any work left over from yesterday and just answer the telephone. If anyone calls tell them I am in a meeting and take their name and number.”  
“Sure.”  
Emma walked back outside to her desk and took a large gulp of her drink. She had done it. She had told Regina she was staying and committed herself to the job. It was a strange feeling, knowing that she didn’t have to leave. Ever since she was a child she had moved from place to place never sure how long she would be there for and she had taken the habit into her adult life. Now she was breaking that cycle.  
Regina, meanwhile, sat in her office with her coffee abandoned on her desk. Emma was staying. She was a little surprised at just how happy it made her feel and told herself that it was just nice to have company at work. Someone to talk to when she became tired of being alone in her office for hours and hours. Kathryn didn’t understand what her work life was like, but Emma would. Her mind recalled how Emma had looked as she told her she was staying. The light had been captured in her blonde curls and her eyes had looked directly at Regina when she spoke.  
Get a grip, Regina told herself as her hands trembled and she began to suspect exactly why she was reacting this way.  
No, it wasn’t possible. She shook her head in denial. She was attracted to men. Daniel proved that. Graham proved that.  
Her eyes wandered to the door, knowing Emma was sitting on the other side.  
Damn, she had to get herself under control. She worked with the woman. This was no way to behave. They had to have a completely professional relationship.  
Regina forced herself to pick up her pen and start signing the forms on the desk in front of her. She wasn’t concentrating on what she was signing. Halfway through she paused to take a sip of her coffee and frowned as she realised that it was already cold. She looked up at the clock on the wall and was surprised to see two hours had passed. Emma hadn’t interrupted her to see if she wanted another drink, which meant she was busy with her own work, and probably hadn’t thought about it. Regina dropped the cold coffee in the bin and went to the door. Perhaps she should take a break and offer to make Emma a drink.  
As she opened her door she heard Emma talking to Graham. The Sheriff was asking Emma how she was settling into the town and inviting her to join him at the Rabbit Hole for a drink so that they could get to know each other.  
“Do you play darts Miss Swan?”  
“Call me Emma, Sheriff.”  
“Emma.” He acknowledged with a tilt of his head. “And you must call me Graham.”  
“Does the Rabbit Hole have a pool table?”  
“Yes it does. Are you any good?”  
“I know the rules better than for darts.”  
Regina frowned at the idea they were flirting. Graham was supposed to be chasing after her. Time to make her entrance.

Chapter 8.

“Sheriff, how lovely to see you here. I hope nothing is wrong.”  
Graham looked over and smiled at her, instantly walking away from Emma. “Madame Mayor, I just came to see if you’d given any more thought to my request for a deputy Sheriff.”  
“I’m not sure that Storybrooke needs a deputy. The money is better off spent on tidying up the street litter and saving enough money to repair the clock tower.”  
“Be that as it may, I really feel…”  
“Why don’t we continue this discussion in my office.” Regina told him, conscious that he could argue the point for quite some time.  
“Would you like some drinks for your meeting?” Emma asked. “I meant to ask if you were thirsty before the Sheriff turned up.”  
“Coffee, thank you.” Graham told her.  
“I’ll have the same.”  
Emma nodded and walked towards the kitchen. Graham followed Regina into her office and sat down. She closed the door behind him and watched him as she returned to her desk.  
“She seems nice.” Graham commented, relaxing back into the chair.  
“She is. Now about this deputy business…” Regina said as she sat down, moving some papers across her desk so that she could see him more clearly.  
“Oh that, it was just an excuse to see if you were avoiding me. You said we could talk, so here I am.”  
Regina frowned at him, but Graham just kept smiling at her as though he didn’t believe she would really be cross with him for the deception.  
“Don’t you have work to do?”  
“I’m taking my lunch break early.”  
“Graham…”  
He sat forward in the chair and began to speak more eagerly, holding his hands out to emphasise his words.  
“Look, I know you want to keep things professional between us, but I think we…”  
Emma knocked on the door before entering with the coffees on a tray. “Sorry Sheriff, I wasn’t sure if you took milk or sugar so I put some milk in the third cup and there’s some sugar in the bowl.”  
“That’s wonderful, thank you.”  
Emma put the tray down on Regina’s desk, realising that they were having a private conversation. “I’ll leave this here and collect it later.”  
She quietly shut the door behind her, wishing that she could hear what they were saying. Graham had looked at though he was in the middle of an intense discussion when she walked in, though Regina’s face remained calm. She didn’t think they were still talking about deputy sheriffs.  
Regina counted to three once Emma had left. She hoped Graham would have forgotten his train of thought. No such luck.  
“I’m attracted to you.” Graham told her. “I understand if you want to just be friends and I’m okay with that. Just don’t shut me out, please. We’ve worked so well together, for as long as I remember. That has to count for something.”  
“It does, you are right. I just don’t want to complicate our working relationship, but if you think being friends won’t do that…”  
“It won’t, I promise.”  
“Then perhaps we could meet for coffee tomorrow. After the meeting.”  
“Do I have to book it through Emma?” He asked her smiling.  
“No, I always keeps a few hours free after the meeting to catch up on my work here.”  
Graham stood up. “Until tomorrow then.”  
“Yes.”  
He put his hand on the door but Regina called his name before he could turn the handle.  
“Oh, and Graham?”  
“Yes, Regina?”  
“I do hope you’re not planning on a romantic entanglement with my new assistant. I would hate for anything to get in the way of your working together in the future.”  
“I only plan on being friends with the young lady. It isn’t often we get a new face in town to challenge me at a game of darts.”  
“Be sure that is all it is.”  
“If you were any other woman Regina, I might accuse you of being jealous.”  
Regina raised an eyebrow at the comment and Graham left without another word. A few moments later and Emma knocked on the door, indicating that she would take Graham’s coffee cup away. She knew Regina hated the mess on her desk of an empty cup and she hoped she might mention what Graham had wanted. She didn’t.  
When Emma returned to her desk she saw Graham hovering by the front doors, looking in her direction. She walked over to him and smiled.  
“So are we on for a game of pool, Emma?”  
“Can I bring a friend?”  
“Of course. I’ll find someone and we can play doubles. What time?”  
“I’ll have to see what time she finishes work. Meet at the bar at sevenish?”  
Graham nodded and fished his car keys from his pocket. “I’ll see you then.”

Chapter 9.

Regina overheard their conversation. She fumed, unable to believe that Graham had made plans with Emma so soon. If he thought she would agree to go with him to the bar as his friend he was totally mistaken.  
When Emma tried to ask her later that afternoon if she wanted another drink, Regina snapped at her and then returned to her paperwork annoyed with herself. She found it so hard controlling her emotions and even harder to apologise after. So she hid out in her office, waiting for Emma to leave before exiting her office and heading straight home. She would try to unwind with some gentle music and a lot of her special apple cider. By tomorrow she might be able to figure out a way to make it up to Emma.  
Kathryn rang just as she arrived home and invited her out for drinks.  
“Just us girls this time.” She promised.  
“It’s been a long day. How about tomorrow?” Regina suggested, slipping off her shoes and dropping her handbag on a small table.  
“It’ll help you relax. You can tell me what’s wrong.”  
That was the last thing Regina wanted to do. She knew Kathryn wouldn’t understand. Even she didn’t completely understand what she was thinking or feeling. Now that she knew Emma and Graham were meeting at the Rabbit Hole she didn’t want to risk Kathryn suggesting they go there in case she saw them. It would be too awkward.  
“I don’t feel up to going out.” Regina shifted the phone to her other ear as she looked in the fridge, trying to decide what to cook. “Why don’t you come over and I’ll make us some dinner. I’ll even set a bottle of your favourite wine in some ice.”  
It didn’t take long for Kathryn to agree.  
___________________________________________________________

The Rabbit Hole wasn’t the worst bar she had ever been in. In fact, mused Emma, it was definitely one of the quieter ones. The crowd was mixed, some casual drinkers with their friends, some rougher groups trying to relax after a hard day at work. She stood with Ruby at the bar, waiting for their drinks, and took another look around.  
“Pool table is over there.” Ruby told her, pointing past the crowd. “I think I see the Sheriff.”  
They paid for their drinks and wandered over. Emma was surprised to see that Graham had brought Mary Margaret along. The quiet school teacher didn’t seem the type to hang out in bars like this, and from the way her eyes were wandering to the table of drunken laughter Emma realised that she probably didn’t. Ruby was glad to see her, they were good friends, and she instantly offered to pair up with her against Graham and Emma.  
“Why not?” Graham answered good-naturedly.  
He began handing out the cues and Emma showed Mary Margaret what the cube of chalk was for. Ruby lined up the first shot, neatly potting the first ball and the game was on.  
After an hour, they had switched partners twice and Emma had won two of the three games. Mary Margaret apologised, but Emma told her not to worry.  
“It’s the first time I’ve played.” She explained.  
“That’s okay, it takes a while to get used to holding the cue. At least you didn’t hit any of the balls over the table. I did my first game, and it bounced off my date’s foot. He was not impressed.”  
Mary Margaret laughed. “I’ll have to get Ruby to come back with me and help me practice.”  
“Right, enough pool, time to just drink.” Ruby interrupted.  
Emma shook her head. “I’ve had one drink for every game we played, I’m fine.”  
“Soda for me.” Mary Margaret agreed.  
Ruby looked expectantly at Graham, tilting her head to one side and challenging him with a look. “What about you?”  
He chuckled glanced at his watch. “Why not. One more for the road, as they say.”  
Ruby laced her arm through his and led him to the bar. Emma and Mary Margaret trailed reluctantly behind. Away from the pool table, the teacher opened up a little, telling Emma about her latest class project. Emma tried to look interested, but the conversation Ruby was having with Graham looked a lot more interesting. 

Chapter 10.

Regina laughed as she poured the last few drops of wine from the bottle into Kathryn’s glass. The dirty plates were stacked up in the kitchen awhile the two women sat on the sofa discussing their disastrous double date. Regina liked the way Kathryn helped her to relax and feel the way she used to when she was around Daniel. Although there was no romantic chemistry between them, there was a strong bond of friendship. Goodness only knew how many times she had done or said something to Kathryn and waited for her to walk away. But every time Kathryn had come back, forgiven her and carried on as though she had completely forgotten whatever the problem had been. Regina was really trying to make more of an effort to be a better friend in return. That was why she had agreed to the double date in the first place and why she was still talking about it this evening.  
“I really thought Graham was nice.” Kathryn told her. “And you already know his strengths and faults from working with him.”  
Regina looked down at the glass of cider in her cupped hands. “That’s just the problem. We work together. Anything that happens between us will just make it awkward.”  
“How? He really seems to like you.”  
“Don’t.”  
“What?”  
“He’s already tried asking me out again. For now he’s agreed to just be friends, which is better than dating.”  
“What are you so afraid of? So what if you date and fall out? You’re not the type to reveal all your deep dark secrets to someone that easily. Look at us, I still don’t know about most of your life but we’re great friends. I doubt Graham would be the type to make things awkward at work if it doesn’t work out and maybe you could just go back to being friends.”  
“I’m just not attracted to him.” Regina tipped her head back slightly and finished her drink in one go.  
“Is that it? Or is there more you aren’t telling me? Sometimes you have to date a guy a couple of times to get to know him. The quiet ones take a while to open up and you don’t want to miss Mr Right.”  
Regina took Kathryn’s empty glass from her and placed it on the table. “As you pointed out, there are many things you don’t know about me. My past is complicated, but when I meet the right person, if I ever meet them, I’ll let you know and we can discuss dating tips.”  
“Then I’ll have to set you up on more blind dates. Or we could go to the Rabbit Hole and see who we can pick up there?”  
“Why not suggest internet dating?” Regina joked.  
“Where do you think I met my accountant?” Kathryn countered. “I’m sure if you just give it a chance…”  
“No. Definitely not.”  
“I can help you set up a profile…” She knew the words were a mistake as she spoke them, but the wine had made her careless.  
When Regina made up her mind about something, it took a lot for her to change it. Kathryn was used to months of begging for her to consider the simplest things. She had since learnt to suggest things in small doses, as though Regina needed time to think things through. Kathyrn herself never rushed into anything, but Regina wanted to look at everything from as many angles as possible, just in case.  
“It’s getting late.” Regina interrupted her.  
Kathryn glanced at the clock. “Really?”  
“I have an early meeting in the morning.”  
Used to Regina’s abrupt nature, Kathryn simply stood up and went to collect her coat.  
“We’ll go out again soon.” Regina promised, by way of an apology.  
Kathryn hugged her, to let her know that she understood. “If you don’t want to date, I won’t push you, but I’m your friend so I just want you to be happy.”  
Regina smiled. “I am.”  
She watched Kathryn leave, then went to finish off the bottle of cider.

Chapter 11.

Emma rolled out of bed when the alarm clock woke her and struggled to get dressed as her head felt like a bag with a bunch of rocks rolling around inside it. She lacked the necessary co-ordination to put her legs through her trousers and only realised that her t-shirt was inside-out when she saw the label in the bathroom mirror reflection. Removing it and deciding to get dressed when she was a little more awake, Emma reached down the side of her bed for the hairbrush she had dropped.  
When someone knocked on her door, she assumed it would be Ruby.  
“You’ll have to go ahead without me. I’ll meet you at the diner.” Emma called out to her, furiously brushing at her hair.  
“Miss Swan, it’s me.” Regina’s voice came through the door.  
In her shock, Emma went to open the door without a thought for her appearance. Regina blushed and averted her gaze to the doorframe.  
“Oh my God!” Emma looked down at what she was and wasn’t wearing, then grabbed her jacket from the back of the door, quickly putting it on.  
Regina slid her eyes back over to Emma and allowed herself to smile slightly. “Good morning.”  
“Morning.”  
Emma was puzzled. Was she supposed to be starting work early today? Had she done something wrong at the office yesterday? She could not believe that she had just opened her front door to her boss while she was still in her underwear.  
“Would you like to come in?” She asked when Regina didn’t say anything further.  
“I thought I could buy you a coffee to apologise for the way I acted yesterday.” Regina explained as she nodded and stepped through the doorway, holding up two takeaway coffees from the diner.  
Her eyes scanned the room, from the clothes tangled up on the floor to the unmade bed and quickly looked back at Emma. She suddenly felt silly. What sort of boss invaded their secretary’s privacy? She was being nosy, looking at where Emma lived and there was no excuse. If someone had done the same thing to her… well, they would be facing the Queen’s wrath.  
“You didn’t have to…” Emma started to say.  
Regina quickly passed her the coffee and stepped back. “It’s just a coffee. I shouldn’t have come here, but I didn’t want you to pick up a coffee on your way in once I’d brought it… I’ll see you at the office.”  
Then she turned and left, leaving Emma holding the hot, white cup and wondering what had just happened.  
\--  
Tom from the accounts team was waiting at Emma’s desk when she arrived. He was in his early thirties, with short brown hair and wearing a blue striped shirt.  
“We’ve got a new spreadsheet system, just upgraded the software. The mayor said you’d want to learn how it works and to start training you on it today.” He explained, adjusting his glasses as he spoke.  
“Okay, I’ll just check if she needs anything first.” Emma told him, tucking her handbag under her desk.  
“No need, she said she had a conference call and we should use my office. I’ve got the system set up and some work you can practice on. Have you used spreadsheets before? If not, don’t worry, they’re not difficult once you get started.”  
Emma followed him towards the accounts department, trying to remember Regina’s diary and who the conference call was with. There might have been something she was supposed to give Regina …  
“Just grab a spare chair from Terry’s desk. He’s not in today.” Tom continued speaking as they entered his office, pointing to an empty chair.  
Emma automatically did as he asked and brought it over. Then she sat down for the longest set of instructions ever given for what should have been a simple spreadsheet system. As far as Emma could see, the only difference between this and the previous version was one button. It was a button she would never need to use.  
Still, Tom made her run through the some practice spreadsheets and gave her a few interesting shortcut commands to use. By the time everyone else began packing up for lunch, she was thanking him and trying to make a quick escape.  
Regina’s office was empty when Emma checked. She left a post-it note on her computer screen to say she’d gone for lunch and went to find Ruby.

Chapter 12.

Regina took a deep breath, focusing on the smell of her coffee. It was early in the morning and the diner was nearly empty. They were in a corner booth with the nearest people at least two tables away and unable to hear their conversation.  
“I’m an idiot.” She told Kathryn without looking up.  
“What happened?”  
“I did something completely inappropriate and brought… a member of the staff a coffee.” She finished the sentence after a pause, stopping herself from revealing Emma’s name.  
“That sounds very nice of you.”  
“First thing in the morning. To their home address.” Regina stirred the cup with the spoon, even though she hadn’t added any milk or sugar.  
“Oh.”  
“Precisely. I don’t know what made me do it. They were talking to Graham yesterday, making plans to go out to the Rabbit Hole and I overheard. In the afternoon I turned into the boss from hell and this morning … the coffee.” Regina lifted the spoon from the cup.  
“Male or female? And were you jealous that they were spending time with Graham because you like him or them?”  
“What?”  
The spoon dropped to the table as Regina finally looked up at her friend. The waitress passed by, still serving breakfast to the other diners.  
“If female, were you checking to see if Graham had stayed the night? Or are you attracted to this person and don’t like the idea that Graham, who likes you, might become friends and make it harder for you to date them?”  
“I don’t know.” Regina put her head in her hands, her voice becoming muffled. “It’s been so long since I liked anyone that way that I’ve forgotten what it’s supposed to feel like.”  
“Regina, you’ve just skipped out on work for the first time since I’ve known you because you wanted to get a coffee and talk to me about it. Clearly your feelings about this are strong.”  
“Why does everything have to be so complicated?”  
Kathryn just smiled at her. “It sounds like you already know the answer.”  
_____  
The movements of the other diners passed by in a blur after Kathryn had left. Graham found Regina still sitting in the corner booth, a full cup of cold coffee on the table in front of her.  
“You weren’t at the meeting this morning.” He said as he sat down opposite her, signalling to the waitress to bring over two coffees.  
“I’m allowed to miss a meeting.” Regina told him.  
“You never miss them. What’s wrong?”  
“Nothing.”  
“I thought we were going to try and be friends. You agreed to meet me and here you are, so….?”  
“I had an emergency at home. I had to call the plumber to fix a leak and I was so busy cleaning it up that I forgot to ring and send my apologies to the meeting. What did I miss?”  
Graham raised an eyebrow. “That’s work talk. I was hoping we could talk like friends. Get to know each other a little better.”  
“What do you want to know?”  
The question took Graham by surprise and he had to think for a minute. He didn’t want to ask anything too personal but he wanted her to know he was taking it seriously. In the end he gave up.  
“What do you like to do in your spare time? Bowling? Reading?”  
Regina laughed. “Can you see me bowling?”  
“Well, ice skating then. Or tennis?”  
“I like gardening.”  
“Okay.” Graham took a sip of his coffee.  
“What about you?”  
“Hiking in the woods, playing darts… You should come to the Rabbit Hole some time and watch. They have a tournament every couple of months and there’s a pool table. If you don’t know how to play I could teach you.”  
Regina wanted to ask if that would interfere with his dates with Emma, but she didn’t want him to think she was jealous.  
“Don’t you have a dartboard down at the station?” She asked. “Perhaps one lunchtime…”  
“An excellent idea. Are you free tomorrow?”  
“I’ll have to check my diary.”  
Graham finished his coffee and pushed the cup away. “I’ll call you later then. I have to get back to work.”  
He walked away, hoping that he wouldn’t have to arrest anyone between now and tomorrow lunchtime. He didn’t think Regina would agree to play if there was anyone in the cells to watch them. 

Chapter 13.

“Lunch time!” Ruby greeted Emma as she walked into the diner. “What can I get you?”  
“You’ll have to choose for me. My brain abandoned me hours ago.”  
Emma sat down at the counter, watching as Ruby handed out cups coffee to the other customers.  
“Bad day?” Ruby asked her, passing a menu over the counter. “Or are you just tired after last night?”  
“Not really, and no. I’d have to drink a lot more than that to feel frazzled this morning. Tom’s been showing me spreadsheets all morning on the computer.”  
Emma didn’t see Regina still sitting in her booth, the tall backs obscuring her view so she chattered away to Ruby.  
“Thrilling.” Ruby leant over to point out the lunch selection, then turned to Leroy who was sitting next to Emma. “Here’s your ketchup.”  
Leroy nodded his thanks and Ruby turned back to Emma. “Maybe you should come and work here. No computers, but you need to use your brain to remember all the orders.”  
“Tempting.” Emma told her. “But Granny scares me. The way she yells at you to get the orders and get back to work instead of socialising….”  
Ruby laughed. “She’s not as much of a dragon as the mayor. I hear she made someone cry once for daring to interrupt her during a town council meeting. At least with Granny I know at the end of the day she loves me, and even if I find her completely suffocating at times it’s because she wants what is best for me.”  
“Must be nice to have someone like that.”  
Emma thought of August. He was in and out of her life trying to help her, but his presence wasn’t consistent and it was always when he wanted to show up. She appreciated his help, but it wasn’t like having a family. Or real friends.  
“Hey, I’m getting old myself. I know that as much as I hate it now, I’ll be glad she’s been here for me in a couple more years. For now though, I’m enjoying being young and getting to moan about her. She knows I love her and she seems to enjoy moaning about me to her friends.”  
“Well, Regina really isn’t that bad. I guess because she’s more our age than Granny she’s a little more patient when I make mistakes.”  
Ruby looked at her as though she couldn’t believe it.  
“Whatever. Are you ready to order yet? You’re using up a lot of your lunch break just sitting there.”  
Emma glanced down at the menu. “Just a sandwich then. If you think I’ve got time?”  
“I’ll tell her it’s a takeaway for the mayors office.” Ruby laughed and went towards the kitchen to place the order with Granny.  
“I’d order one for Regina if I knew whether she’d be in this afternoon.”  
Ruby’s eyes flicked towards the end booth, suddenly remembering her earlier customer, but it was now empty. Smiling in relief, she carried on.  
\--  
Emma carried her lunch over to her desk and sat down. She pushed the keyboard out of her way and unwrapped the sandwich. It was too quiet. She looked around and noticed that Regina’s door was slightly ajar. Abandoning her sandwich she walked over and lightly knocked. There was no answer, so she pushed the door open and poked her head around to see if Regina was there.  
“Oh my…” Emma couldn’t finish the sentence as she gaped at the mayor.  
Regina was sitting in her chair, slipping her feet into a pair of tights. The buttons on her low cut shirt were straining as she leant forwards to pull the tights up past her ankles. It gave Emma a view of more flesh than she could handle. She tried to look away but her eyes were too busy trying to take it all in, tracing along the mayors soft curves and her dark underwear as though she could memorise it in those seconds.  
Regina looked up as she spoke. There was a look of surprise, then embarrassment as she realised where Emma was looking. She quickly sat up and straightened her shirt.  
Emma finally snapped out of her daze, long enough to apologise.  
“I’m so sorry.”  
Emma quickly tried to back out of the room, but Regina called out to her.  
“Can I have a word with you Miss Swan? In private.”  
Reluctantly, Emma returned. She closed the door and hovered in the doorway as though afraid to step closer to Regina. Perhaps if she had known how similarly Regina’s mind was reeling to hers, she would have felt a little better. Regina had given up on the tights and they sat in a little ball on her desk. Emma glanced at them and back to Regina.  
“I knocked, but…”  
“It’s all right Miss Swan. It was my fault, I should have gone to the restroom to change my tights, but I thought everyone was at lunch so I took a chance to save time. I’m embarrassed but I’ll get over it.”  
She picked up a pen on her desk, to give her nervous hands something to distract them.  
“In a way it makes us even.” Emma tried to joke.  
Regina frowned. “I’d prefer it if that remains between us.”  
“Of course.”  
“This is an office and when two people work together it’s important to remember how easily rumours can get out of control.”  
“I won’t tell anyone.” Emma promised.  
“Good. Thank you.”  
The pen flew out of Regina’s hand’s as she loosened her grip on it and Emma noticed that Regina still looked uncomfortable.  
“Okay, you can go back to work now.” Regina told her, standing up.  
She looked down at the pen, deciding not to pick it up until Emma had gone. When she realised Emma was still there, Regina looked around for another excuse to remain standing.  
“I need more envelopes.” Regina explained, walking past her and opening the stationery cupboard.  
Emma followed her inside, a thoughtful look on her face. 

Chapter 14.

Regina turned around in front of the shelves as she realised the door had taken longer to close than usual.  
“Miss Swan, what are you doing?”  
“I’m your PA. I’m supposed to get the envelopes if you need them.” Emma reminded her, hands on her hips and feet apart as though she was balancing herself for a fight.  
“I’m perfectly capable of walking over here. It’s not like I expect you to run around after me like some kind of servant.”  
“What do you expect of me?”  
“What?”  
Emma stepped towards Regina smiling nervously, as Regina realised that she was backed up against the shelves and couldn’t move away. Regina raised her arms defensively, but Emma gently pushed them down. She gazed up into Regina’s eyes. Suddenly one hand was on Regina’s arm and the other was moving up to touch her cheek.  
“I need to know if I’m going crazy or if you like me the way I like you.” She whispered.  
“I’m attracted to you of course, who wouldn’t be? You’re young and gorgeous, but…” Regina stuttered, wishing she could find the words to make Emma stop.  
She wasn’t ready for this. She didn’t know what to do. It was one thing to dangle Graham on a string, forcing him to do what she wanted because he was attracted to her. It was another to have someone like Emma, someone so independent, to want her.  
“No buts, I want the truth. It’s been driving me mad, seeing you and watching the way you look at me but not daring to say anything.”  
“I don’t think it’s appropriate. We work together, and I’m so much older than you…”  
“Is that all? You don’t look old to me, you look…”  
“Listen, you don’t know anything about me. I have a past.”  
“Who doesn’t? You’re the mayor, a model of good behaviour for the whole of Storybrooke. I trust my instincts.”  
Regina closed her eyes, resting her head against a box behind her. “You don’t understand!”  
The next thing she knew Emma was kissing her. She kept her eyes closed to focus on the kiss. It only lasted a few seconds. Then Emma pulled away and Regina looked at her.  
“I’m sorry, I had to do that.” Emma told her. “Even if you don’t want me to do it again …”  
Regina grabbed her shoulders, pulling her close and kissed Emma so fiercely she had to move her feet to keep her balance. She spun them around and pushed her roughly into the shelves. Emma’s hands moved across Regina’s back and down to where her shirt met her skirt. As Emma’s hands moved under the shirt and against her skin, Regina regained control of her actions. She pulled away and brought a hand up to her head, running her fingers through her short hair.  
“What am I doing?” Regina spoke as if to herself, instead of Emma.  
“So you don’t want me?” Emma asked, looking hurt.  
“Miss Swan you’re my PA. This is inappropriate.”  
“It didn’t feel inappropriate. It felt nice.”  
“You don’t understand.”  
Regina backed herself into the door, reaching behind her for the handle and struggling to locate what she couldn’t see. She couldn’t take her eyes from Emma. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was scared that Emma was going to kiss her again or if she was scared that Emma would turn away from her.  
“Aren’t you attracted to me?” Emma asked.  
“I…”  
“Regina when I look at you, I feel… something that I haven’t felt with someone else in a very long time.”  
“What about Graham?”  
“The Sheriff?”  
“Yes. You went out with him last night.”  
“Sure. I invited Ruby to come along and he brought Mary Margaret. We played pool and drank and hung out. He seems like a nice guy, we could probably be friends.” Emma pushed her hands into her pockets. “So you were listening to our conversation yesterday.”  
“I didn’t want to interrupt if he was going to ask you out.”  
“Wait. Were you jealous?”  
Regina took a deep breath. “No.”  
Emma smiled. “You were!”  
Regina looked at the smile and began to mirror it, before realising what she was doing and shaking her head. “Stop that. We can’t do this.”  
“But you want to.”  
“Emma…”  
“You’re curious. If you leave now, you’re not going to stop thinking about it, wondering about it.”  
“It was just a kiss. It happens.”  
“Two kisses, actually. And nearly more.” Emma took a tentative step forwards. “Besides, we’re both adults.”  
“Who work together.”  
“Yeah but, think how much fun that could be….”  
Suddenly Emma was in front of Regina, not touching her but close enough to speed up Regina’s heartbeat. Regina surrendered to the moment, her hands reaching out to touch Emma’s arms as though she couldn’t believe what she was doing.  
“No. If we… if we do this… no-one can know. We have to remain professional in the office at all times.”  
Emma stood still, allowing her to take the lead, wanting her to feel comfortable so that she would keep moving her hands up her arms and towards their logical conclusion. “Okay.”  
“We can have one date. To see if there is anything more than just…”  
“The physical attraction?”  
Emma couldn’t help but finish her sentence. Regina’s hands were at her shoulders. She nodded. Emma leant towards her and Regina met her halfway. They kissed, Regina wrapping her arms around Emma’s neck, until they heard voices from outside. Reluctantly they broke apart.  
“Lunch time must be over.” Regina told her.  
Emma looked around and grabbed a box of envelopes from the nearest shelf. “Is this what you were looking for?”  
Regina took the box in one hand and reached out with the other to wipe smeared lipstick from the side of Emma’s face.  
“We’ll see.” She told her with a grin before turning around and opening the door.

Chapter 15.

One by one people left the town hall until finally, Regina was the only one left. The night guard took up his usual patrol whistling as he walked towards the camera monitors. Regina sat at her desk, holding her cell phone in her hands and staring at the text message she had typed nearly an hour before. She couldn’t bring herself to send it. Soon it would be too late.  
Emma, would you like to come for a drink at my house? 7pm.  
Her first draft had been an invitation to dinner, but her stomach was knotted and she couldn’t face the idea of food. The screen blacked out again, having been idle too long. Regina quickly pressed a button and the words lit back up. The word ‘send’ seemed to grow on the screen, obscuring her view of the text.  
She pressed send.  
Her eyes flicked up to the clock on the wall and she swore. It was 6.15pm already. She shot up from the chair, grabbed her coat and she ran towards the parking lot. As she got into her car she took a deep breath. She wanted to look as though she was trying too hard to impress Emma but she had to change her clothes. Was there any wine in the house? Oh God, what did Emma like to drink?  
She stopped at the store on the way home, selecting a range of alcoholic beverages, ignoring the looks from the other customers and glaring at the till when she was asked if she was having a party.  
It was a little after 6.40pm when she arrived home. She left the alcohol on the kitchen side, kicked off her shoes and took the stairs two at a time. There would be no time to wash her hair, she would just have to brush it and put some product in it. Which clothes? Nothing too serious, but she didn’t have casual clothes. How much was too much skin to show for a first date?  
“Arrgh!”  
Regina rushed around like a mini tornado until there were dresses and skirts flung across her bed haphazardly. She was never usually this untidy but there was no time to re-hang them all.  
By 6.55pm she was sitting downstairs on the sofa, watching the flames dancing in the fireplace. Their hypnotic swaying soothed her tension away and her mind wandered back to the stationery cupboard where Emma’s lips had been pressed against hers. She took a sip from the wine glass in her hand and glanced up at the clock. There was still plenty of time. Emma might not see the text message straight away, and she might be running late. Regina felt so nervous that she didn’t know what to do while she waited so she just sat in the same spot.  
By 7.15pm she had finished her glass of wine and was considering starting on her cider.  
At 7.30pm she threw the glass into the fireplace where it smashed into tiny pieces and the alcohol hissed in anger as it reacted with the flames.  
She stormed out to the kitchen, picking up her handbag and took out her cell phone. She was ready to send a snarling text to Emma, demanding an explanation for her being late. Then she saw the text message symbol at the top of the screen. Of course Emma would text back! She had probably sent an explanation for the delay, preferring that to ringing. Regina was more used to the telephone than texting, but Emma had grown up with this technology so it was less alien to her.  
Biting her lip she opened the text message. Received at 6.20pm. Her eyes picked out the word ‘sorry’.  
Her vision blurred as she read the text in full.  
Hi, I already made plans with Ruby for tonight, sorry. We’re going to the Rabbit Hole if you want to join us? E.  
Impossible. Go to that bar in front of everyone? Hang around waiting for attention from Emma while she was busy with her friends? Regina had seen Ruby at the diner, knew the girl of course, but she couldn’t imagine keeping up a conversation with her. They had a past, even if she didn’t remember it. No. She would just have to re-arrange with Emma. She mustn’t over-react.  
Regina couldn’t bring herself to send another text message tonight. She could ask Emma out tomorrow. At work, face-to-face. If Emma found another excuse to avoid a date then she would know that the girl wasn’t really interested in her.  
Her stomach clenched at the thought. It had seemed like such a ridiculous idea at first. Dating Emma. She wanted to laugh but her lip trembled.  
Without thinking she took out another glass from the cupboard, pouring herself a drink of cider.  
That’s what she would do. Tonight she would relax and allow herself time to think. She needed to be sure what she wanted. She didn’t want to make a fool of herself over someone she barely knew.  
God, it was a relief to have someone like that around though. At times she wanted to scream to everyone that yes she was the Evil Queen and yes they were all stuck in this place because of her. She wanted to tell them how much she hated them and their perfect lives. How even though she was supposed to get what she wanted they still managed to screw things up and be happier than her. She didn’t understand why she didn’t want Graham. He wanted her and he had made that quite clear. He was young, good-looking and had an accent that should have made her want to melt upon hearing it. Not that he was Daniel, but….  
The cider bottle was half-empty. She couldn’t have started a full bottle.  
Emma. Her thoughts took a sharp turn back to the blonde. She was so young and they were from different worlds, quite literally. What could attract someone like Emma to her? Was it her power as mayor? Is that what Emma wanted, craved? Was she only pretending to like women because Regina held all the power in the town?  
Slowly as she slid into a spiral of doubt, Regina stopped looking at how much she was drinking. It didn’t matter. She could handle the cider. In the morning she would wake up and feel better. Her head would be clear and she would once again know what to do.

Chapter 16.

Emma was sitting at the bar with Ruby, talking quietly, two empty glasses in front of them. There was music playing over the speakers but they were far enough away that they could hear each other easily. Emma had dressed casually, wearing her jeans with the first clean top she had found in her room, while Ruby opted for an outfit showing more skin.  
“An evening top for a casual drink?” Emma asked as their conversation slowed after an hour or so.  
Ruby shrugged. “There’s nothing else in the town to dress up for and I wanted to wear my new top. Someday a guy will walk in, see me standing out from the crowd in a fabulous outfit and buy me a drink.”  
Graham came over to join them. He ignored the bar stools, apparently preferring to stand up holding his drink and looking down at them. “Please don’t tell me you believe in that Prince Charming nonsense? It’s too much pressure for us poor, ordinary guys to handle.”  
Emma laughed at him, but Ruby turned her head away.  
“This is a private girls night out.” She told him.  
Emma checked her cell for the fourth time that evening. Regina still hadn’t text her back. She hoped the mayor wasn’t taking her reply for an outright rejection. Maybe she would show up at the bar for a drink?  
“Waiting for a call?” Graham leant over and looked at her screen.  
“No, just checking the time. I don’t want to be out too late, it’s a work day tomorrow.”  
“Why not use the clock over the bar?” He smirked.  
“Duh!” Ruby interjected. “It’s the digital age, if you have a phone you use it to check the time. Clocks are soooo old-school. For example, when was the last time you saw someone look at their watch to check the time?”  
Graham laughed. “Will you let me buy you a drink to apologise?”  
Ruby put a consoling hand on his shoulder as she spoke. “Of course, but then you have to go. It’s still a girls night and you are definitely not a girl.”  
Emma raised an eyebrow. She hadn’t realised how much Ruby had been drinking. It was supposed to be a relaxing evening; she wasn’t looking forward to helping her walk home if she couldn’t even walk straight.  
“Maybe we’ve had enough. We should go.” Emma suggested.  
Ruby looked outraged. “It’s only…” She peered around, looking for someway to tell the time, and squinted at the clock behind the bar. “Well, the hands are still there, I can tell. There’s pointing straight in that direction and that means it’s still early.”  
Graham looked worried. “Perhaps you should head home. I’ll buy you a drink next time.”  
“What?”  
“As the Sheriff, I don’t want you getting in trouble. Would you like me to escort you back to the B&B?”  
Emma stood up and put a hand under Ruby’s elbow to help her up. “No thanks. We’ll manage.”  
She got Ruby steady on her feet, but when she turned back to look at Graham he was staring away from them. With Ruby tottering beside her, she tried to get past Graham, but whatever he was looking at had him spellbound and he didn’t move. Emma looked over his shoulder and stopped.  
When had Regina arrived?  
The mayor swept through the Rabbit Hole ignoring everyone. She was wearing a little black dress which looked as though it was moulded to her skin and sharply spiked heels almost as high as Ruby’s.  
Emma gulped as Regina’s eyes connected with hers and she altered her course to head in her direction. Her body seems to sway in time with the music, her movements almost sensual as she made all eyes in the bar follow her.  
Graham’s face developed a soppy grin as he assumed Regina was coming towards him. His face fell as she stepped around him, looking up and down at the way Emma was holding Ruby, and their clothes.  
“Hello madam mayor.” Ruby tried to wave.  
“Ruby. Emma.” Regina nodded.  
“You look…” Emma was lost for words.  
She knew the ones she wanted to use, but there suddenly seemed so many of them.  
“You look wow.” Ruby finished for her.  
Regina smiled, but there was a glazed look in her eyes that suggested she wasn’t completely aware of everything. Emma bit her tongue to stop herself from asking if the mayor was drunk. She seemed to be functioning a lot better than Ruby, so perhaps it wasn’t her problem.  
Graham tried to put a hand on Regina’s arm, but she shrugged it off. He stood there, watching them as though waiting to hear what she wanted and readying himself to do whatever it was.  
“Sheriff, would you mind taking Ruby home for me. She looks a little too drunk for Emma to manage on her own.”  
“He did offer, but I think we can manage.” Emma told her.  
“Sheriff.”  
It was just one word, but Graham had already stepped forward and taken Ruby’s arm from Emma before she could object.  
“Come along Ruby, we’ll see if we can’t get you home without Granny finding out. Do you have your key?”  
Emma listened to the quieting voices as they left. Regina turned around suddenly, glaring at everyone who was watching them, making them realise that they had other, more interesting, things to do than look at her. As she turned back to Emma she smiled.  
“You invited me out for drinks. Here I am.”  
“We were just leaving…” Emma began.  
She remembered how she had been checking her cell for Regina’s reply all evening and her eyes returned to Regina’s dress. If she walked away now, would Regina ever wear it again? It was so different from her work clothes. What sort of underwear would fit under a dress like that without leaving tell-tale lines? The thought reminded her of her earlier view of the mayor.  
“Perhaps a soft drink?” She finished lamely, blushing as Regina’s arm brushed against hers.  
“You look a little flushed dear. Is it too warm in here for you?”  
All this waiting had made Regina impatient. She could still feel the stares of the townspeople on them but was enjoying watch Emma react to her. The dress had been the right choice after all.  
“Would you like to step outside into the fresh air? I could walk you home.” Regina whispered, leaning into her ear.  
Emma felt as though someone had sucked all the oxygen out of the room as Regina’s body leant into hers. “Or, the invitation for a drink at my house is still open?”  
Emma nodded and Regina spoke clearly for the benefit of anyone listening. “Let’s take a walk then you can check on Ruby.”  
A blast of cool air hit them as they stood in the doorway. Regina linked her arm through Emma’s and stepped outside first. 

Chapter 17.

Emma stepped through the door of the mansion and tried not to stare. Regina lived here all alone?  
“Kitchen is straight ahead. What would you like to drink?”  
Emma watched Regina slip off her shoes and kicked off her own so that they settled near the mayors. As she drew close to her again, Emma realised that there was a really strong smell of alcohol. Back at the bar it wasn’t noticeable, but here in this empty house there was nothing else to mask it.  
“Do you have any coffee?”  
“Of course. Any particular blend?”  
Their footsteps were silent on the floor and Emma kept twisting her head around to take a better look. When they reached the kitchen, she saw bottles of alcohol lined up. It was a lot for a single person to drink.  
As if reading her thoughts, Regina smiled. “I brought them because I wasn’t sure what you liked and I wanted to be able to offer you a selection. I prefer cider myself, or wine.”  
Emma was stunned that Regina had done that for her and secretly pleased. It meant she was thinking about the kiss…kisses and wanted to see if there was anything more to their attraction.  
She took a seat and watched as Regina made the coffee. As they waited for the water to boil, Regina hovered near to her. Emma sensed that she was nervous and held out her hand.  
“I…” Regina faltered and gave in to the moment, placing her hand in Emma’s.  
Emma pulled her closer and Regina lowered her head for a kiss.  
They forgot the coffee in that moment. Forgot they were in Regina’s kitchen and just allowed their hands to roam freely across each other’s body. Emma tried to stand up and Regina pressed her back against the counter top. Her fingers found the button to Emma’s jeans and fumbled trying to get them open.  
“Not down here.” Emma whispered, nibbling at her ear.  
“Bedroom. Right.” Regina released her suddenly and began pulling Emma along behind her as she headed towards the stairs.  
Emma laughed and moved her legs a little faster to try and keep up. Regina didn’t bother turning on the lights in the hallway, she knew her way well enough, and just flicked the switch on the bedroom one as she entered.  
The room was very plain. There were very few personal touches, but Emma didn’t have time to ask Regina about it. They resumed kissing in the doorway, this time Regina’s hands remained away from Emma’s jeans.  
“Are you sure…” She breathed as she stole her lips away.  
“Yes. I want you.”  
Emma firmly took hold of Regina’s waist and turned her around so that she could undo the zip on her dress. Regina waited patiently, though a little frightened that she was going to be the first one naked. But Emma didn’t try to take the dress off her. Once the zip had been lowered, she turned her attentions to her jeans and took them off. Regina turned to look at her over her shoulder. She watched the way Emma’s movements seemed to move to their own music. Her blonde curls fell forward as she bent to remove the jeans, then her face was hidden as she lifted the t-shirt over her head. She stood in her underwear, finally, looking so confident her face held a kind of glow. Regina’s fingers fumbled at her dress as she attempted to remove it. As soon as it fell to the floor, she went to sit on the edge of the bed. Emma towered over her as she undid her bra. Cautiously, in case she wasn’t supposed to, Regina reached out, hooked two fingers on either side of Emma’s underwear and tugged them down. Emma stepped out of them and dropped her bra to lie beside them on the floor.  
Regina had never done this before, not with another woman. Her hands were trembling as she looked up and admitted it to Emma.  
“Don’t worry.” Emma reassured her. “I’ll show you.”  
She urged Regina further back onto the bed and made her lay down with her head on the pillows. Emma climbed over Regina, placing her hands either side of Regina’s head, her hair tickling the mayor’s skin where it touched. Regina raised a hand to stroke the blonde locks.  
“I love your hair. Mine used to be as long as this.” She told her.  
“It takes a lot of work to look after it, but I like it. Why did you cut yours? Not that it doesn’t suit you short.”  
Regina shrugged. “I needed a change. It seemed to fit being mayor and living here.”  
Emma began with Regina’s neck, pressing her lips against the soft, flawless skin and moving down her body. Sometimes she licks the skin, tasting it, sometimes she allows her teeth to gently graze the flesh, without leaving a mark. She moves past the breasts - there will be time to pay them attention later – and Regina shivers as Emma begins gently sucking at the skin below her bellybutton.  
“Emma, please.” She whispers the name having lost control of her thoughts, her hand still holding onto strands of Emma’s hair.  
She wants this. She wants to know what it feels like, what Emma can do to her. She releases Emma’s hair.  
Emma began stroking her legs until they parted, swooping in, her tongue touching Regina’s clit. Surprise, and the new sensation, causes Regina to buck her hips but it just means Emma’s tongue is pressed more firmly against her. Emma lazily draws circles with her tongue and moves a finger into position. There is so much heat and moisture coming from Regina that she knows she is ready.  
“You’re so tight.” Emma mumbles as she pushes inside, but Regina is beyond hearing.  
It doesn’t take a lot of effort from Emma before the orgasm hits. Emma tries to make it last as long as she can. To Regina there was no way to measure the time. Her entire body seems alive, as though she can feel the individual hairs on her arms and she lifts her head to look down at Emma. Before she can say anything, Emma’s head ducks back down and Regina feels the fingers thrusting inside her, in and out. She feels her body clench and she grasps for a handful of the blankets to hold onto.

Chapter 18.

The garden is well tended. The grass is neatly clipped with not a weed in sight. Not that Emma would have known what a weed looked like. Gardens were seldom part of her childhood. She watches Regina from the window upstairs. The mayor is dressed and standing below an apple tree, looking up at the red fruit with a thoughtful expression on her face.  
Emma slips her clothes back on and heads downstairs. The large glass doors are slightly open. She slips through and walks towards Regina. Emma can hear the sharp click of metal scissors as she approaches. When she reaches her, the mayor’s back is turned and she has a basket of apples hanging off one arm. Regina turns around, pruning shears in her hand.  
“You’re up early.” Emma tells her cheerfully.  
“I had work to do. I have to cut back some of the extra growth to balance the tree.”  
Emma stepped forward to take a look. “How do you know where to cut?”  
Regina patiently pulled a branch towards her. “You see here, about halfway down, this is a fruit bud. I want to keep that, but the red of the branch must go so I have to cut it just after that.”  
“They look like sharp scissors. Shouldn’t you wear gloves?”  
“They’re called secateurs, or pruning shears. I’m careful so I don’t wear gloves. I like to be able to feel the branches before I cut them. It relaxes me and helps me to think.”  
“Are the apples sweet?” Emma glances down at the basket.  
“Yes. I make apple turnovers and apple pies... any kind of apple-based dessert really.” Regina snipped away the end of the branch and looked back at Emma. “I didn’t want to wake you.”  
Emma stuffed her hands into her jeans. It had been silly to expect Regina to wake up next to her, to laze in bed, but after last night… Well, Regina hadn’t offered her breakfast so maybe she was feeling uncomfortable and wanted her to leave?  
“About what happened last night.” She began.  
Regina’s eyes narrowed and her grip on the secateurs tightened. “I have no regrets.”  
“Good.” Emma breathed a sigh of relief.  
“I just felt uncomfortable in the bed while you were sleeping. I thought about watching you sleep, but it seemed a little… I don’t know.” Regina gave an odd little laugh as though she was remembering something. “When I don’t know what to do, I come to my apple trees. It’s comforting.”  
“Do you want to talk about it? Last night, I mean.”  
Regina looked around, as though someone might be listening to them. “Lets go back inside.”  
She placed the basket of apples inside the glass doors, on a mat on the floor, laying the pruning shears beside them and taking off her shoes. Regina glanced down at Emma’s feet. She had gone out barefoot and there were now slight marks on her carpet. Emma followed her gaze and her eyes widened as she realised what Regina was looking at.  
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”  
“Don’t apologise. You can clean your feet in the bathroom down here.”  
“Your carpet…”  
“Can be cleaned. Just please, don’t go upstairs with the mud. Those carpets are… not as easy to clean.”  
Emma nodded and walked over to where Regina had pointed. She found the little bathroom, just a toilet and sink, but spacious enough for her to move around. There was a mirror on the wall and a bright light overhead. Emma ran some water over a flannel, conveniently folded on a shelf above the sink and began to scrub away at the dirt. She dried her feet with the towel and stood up, checking her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was wild and tousled where she hadn’t brushed it after waking up. She quickly ran her fingers through it, wishing it was more presentable. Regina had managed to look the same in the morning as she did every day.  
“Well she probably had time while you were sleeping.” Emma muttered to herself.  
She had hoped to wake up first. She wanted to see Regina’s reaction when as she remembered what had happened. She had been hoping Regina would say something to her to let her know what she was thinking. Did she regret it? Did she want to forget it and return to work as though nothing had happened?  
Hating that she was acting like a coward, hiding out in the bathroom, Emma opened the door. She heard Regina moving around in the kitchen and went to investigate.  
“We forgot about the coffee.” Regina explained, her back to Emma as she poured the cold water down the sink.  
There were frying pans lined up on the side and an assortment of food next to them. Emma eyed them hungrily.  
“Do you want to stay for breakfast?” Regina asked without turning towards her. “There’s plenty of food, it won’t take long to cook.”  
“Sure.”  
Regina finally turned to face her. “I called in sick and told them you’d asked for the day off. I hope you don’t mind. I wanted a chance to talk before we go back to work.”  
The words came out in such a rush that it took Emma a moment to understand them. When she did, she nodded.  
“That sounds like a good idea.”  
Regina rested her hands together, one over the other, tapping the fingers of the outer hand nervously. They tried to speak at the same time, neither getting out more than a few syllables. Emma tried again, and this time Regina let her.  
“Look, I understand if you’re worried about work. I promise, I won’t say or do anything to make it awkward there. Just, tell me, how do you feel about it?”  
Regina took a deep breath. “It was amazing.”  
“Really?”  
“Emma, it was wonderful and I want to thank you. I have to know, do you…”  
The look in her eyes was enough of an answer. Regina crossed the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Emma, kissing her to show just how much she wants her. Emma’s clear eyes, were they blue or green – she couldn’t work it out, look back at her. Then the kiss is over.  
Emma tries to catch her breath. “Do we have to have breakfast straight away?” Her eyes flick to the ceiling.  
Regina’s follow hers and she realises what Emma’s asking. She smiles.  
“I’d like that.”  
They walk up the stairs together. There is no rush.  
“Perhaps I could…” Regina starts to ask.  
Emma squeezes her hand to reassure her. Regina doesn’t say anything else. 

Chapter 19.

Regina studied Emma’s body as though she was afraid to do more than look at it. Now the effects of the cider were gone from her system she felt afraid. She didn’t know what she was doing. Last night, with Emma, she had been too swept up in her own pleasure to try and remember exactly what she had done.  
“It’s okay.” Emma reached out to stroke Regina’s leg, which was the closest body part to her as the mayor knelt on the bed beside her. “What do you want to do?”  
Regina was hesitant at first. “I’d like to kiss you. Then… could you close your eyes?”  
Emma smiled. “Sure. Just, take your time and relax. You’ll be fine.”  
As she closed her eyes she waited, expecting Regina would kiss her mouth. She was a little surprised to feel the other woman’s lips on her forehead, then at her temples and cheeks, before finally kissing her lips. As she kissed Emma, Regina reached out to stroke her hair, feeling how soft it was, and moved down to her shoulders. As she did, she remembered something she had once read, about how massage could be sexually stimulating.  
One of the perks of her pay in this world was that she could afford to treat herself to luxuries. She had found that a weekly massage helped to combat her stress, both from her job and the memories of her past. Her masseuse made the massage relaxing, but only touched her back, neck and shoulders.  
It seemed so simple, just keep the hand movements smooth, build up warmth in the hands through friction and allow Emma to relax. Perhaps if she was working in a more sensitive area…. Emma had told her to take her time.  
Regina rubbed her hands together to warm them and placed them on Emma’s stomach. There was a hitch in Emma’s breathing as she realised what Regina was doing. She moved slowly, Emma’s moans assuring her that she was doing a good job, up her sides, past her breasts and rubbing her shoulders. Then she moved down to Emma’s breasts and drew circles and spirals with her fingers, watching the nipples harden. God she wanted to put them in her mouth and… Regina stopped her head from lowering and growled her next request at Emma, fighting to control her impulses as her fingers followed the curve around the outside of Emma’s breasts.  
“Turn over.”  
“What?”  
Regina smiled at the fear in Emma’s voice. It reminded her of when she was the Evil Queen.  
“I just want to explore your back.” Regina reassured her. “Don’t you trust me?”  
It took a few moments before Emma shifted on the bed, she turned over on her stomach, resting her head on her arms and turning it to look at Regina.  
“Eyes closed.” Regina reminded her.  
With a sigh, Emma closed her eyes. It was clearly a struggle for her to do what Regina asked, but Regina was so pleased that she had agreed. She began massaging Emma’s back, memorising the curve of her backbone, noticing the areas Emma seemed the most sensitive and purposefully returning to those areas just to get a reaction. When she had explored for long enough – she was a little worried at how peaceful Emma’s face was looking and hoped she wasn’t about to fall asleep – Regina stroked her cheek.  
“You can turn back over now.”  
“Oh. I was enjoying that.”  
Regina laughed. “I’m hoping to move on to something else you’ll enjoy even more.”  
Emma smiled and opened her eyes, turning over onto her back, pleased that Regina was feeling more confident. Regina moved down to kiss her again, this time her hands moved down Emma’s body. Emma kept her eyes closed, concentrating on the sensations as Regina pulled away.  
Regina began to move her nails across Emma’s skin, lightly enough not to leave any marks, her nails turned to run parallel to the direction they were travelling. She knew exactly where to press a little harder to make Emma react and where to lighten her touch if she wouldn’t. Regina moved down Emma’s legs and back up the inside of her thighs, causing Emma to bend her knees. With gentle pressure, Regina pushed her legs wider apart and made random patterns on her thighs with her nails as she moved between them.  
“God, Regina, please just…”  
“Hush.” Regina whispered, moving up to pelvis and back down again.  
Emma stretched, raising her hips up to try and remind Regina what she wanted. Taking a final look at Emma, Regina lowered her head and breathed in the heat coming towards her face. She allowed her tongue to move forward, pressing it against the moist flesh, and stilled her hands as she licked Emma’s clit. Emma shuddered, murmuring her name.  
Regina took her time. She didn’t want to enter Emma straight away, she wanted to see what would happen if she just focused on this, teasing Emma by switching how fast or softly she touched her. When she finally felt her own arousal grow from Emma’s movements and groans, she gave in. She pressed her fingers against Emma until she found the entrance, Emma’s movements assisting her access.  
Regina held there for a moment, curious as the feeling, before Emma begged her to continue. She kept her movements gentle, still afraid of hurting Emma by making a mistake but as Emma encouraged her to go faster, to go deeper, she complied.  
There was a look of complete satisfaction on Regina’s face as Emma finally orgasmed and she looked up to watch her, her heart racing.  
Emma held out her hand to Regina and she went to lie beside her on the bed, curled in towards her. Turning on her side to look at her, their knees pressed together, Emma ran her fingers through Regina’s hair.  
“If that was your first time with a woman I’d hate to think what you could do with practice.” Emma told her.  
Regina blushed. “I told you it was.”  
“It was a compliment, Regina.”  
“Thank you.” Then, quick to try and change the subject, she asked. “Would you like me to make breakfast now?”  
“Could we just lay here for a bit?”  
“If you want. Are you cold? I could pull the blankets over us.”  
Emma nodded and as Regina tucked the blanket so that it was up to their shoulders, Emma shifted until she lay against Regina, her head resting on Regina’s chest. Regina was surprised at how comfortable it felt. She wondered if she had stayed in the bed until Emma woke up that morning, if Emma would have wanted to lie like this then. Regina moved her arm around Emma, pleased at Emma’s contented little sigh and closed her eyes. 

Chapter 20.

Regina walked into her office, her manner outwardly relaxed but inwardly coiled on a spring in anticipation. What was it going to be like, working with Emma now that they had… she felt the heat rise up in her face as the memories surfaced and tried to get her body back under control. There had been a long talk before they parted yesterday about keeping their private and work life separate, she couldn’t falter now.  
Regina looked down at the stack of messages on her desk. At least she would be busy today and hopefully the work would keep her mind occupied. There were messages from Graham, from the different departments in the town hall and from the general public. The questions ranged from minor problems that could wait to more important ones the caller should already have known the answer to. She began sorting them, in-between looking at the clock and wondering when Emma would arrive with the coffee. At least the caffeine would make her feel better.  
-  
Emma felt a little nervous as she knocked on Regina’s office door. She wasn’t just bringing the morning coffee, there was also something she had to warn her about too. She wasn’t sure how Regina would react.  
It gave her a light-headed feeling as Emma walked in with the coffee. Regina found her eyes wandering over the outfit she wore and had to press her lips tightly together to stop herself from licking them.  
“How are you feeling today?” Emma asked.  
“Much better, thank you. It was just a 24hr bug. And you? Did you enjoy your day off? There’s a lot of work to catch up on so I may work through lunch.” Regina rushed through the pre-planned conversation, hoping that no-one was listening because she knew that it didn’t sound convincing.  
“I can order take-out from the diner if you like?”  
Emma closed the door and took a deep breath.  
“Something wrong, Miss Swan?”  
“No. It’s just that Ruby…”  
“Yes?”  
Emma walked towards her, lowering her voice and leaning on the edge of the side of the desk as she spoke. “When I got home she asked me where I’d been. I had to tell her something because she was really suspicious. She’d called around to see me in the morning but I wasn’t there and then she saw Graham at the diner and he said you’d sent him with her to make sure she got home okay…”  
Regina’s eyes had been growing slowly darker as she frowned at Emma’s words.  
“What did you tell her?”  
“That we went for a walk to talk about work, then headed home to check on her. I said you’d text me really early in the morning, to let me know you were ill, but that I could still have the day off. So I asked if you needed anything and ended up going shopping to buy you soup and stuff. It also covers us if anyone saw me leave your house yesterday.”  
“Did she believe you?”  
“Yes. I think she just enjoyed the thought that there was a big secret and she wanted to know it before anyone else.”  
“Good.”  
Regina leant back in her chair, relieved. She wanted to believe what Emma said about Ruby buying the story, but it would still mean that they had to be very careful.  
“So if she asks me, what do I say was wrong?”  
“No idea, you’d already called the pharmacy and I just picked up the things for you. I didn’t want to be nosy.” Emma shrugged. “Plus I wasn’t sure what you said when you rang in sick for work.”  
“That was very quick thinking.”  
“I’ve sworn only to use my talents for good.” Emma assured her with a wink. “You’ll notice I haven’t had a day off sick since I started working here. So are we still on for coffee at the diner after work?”  
“Yes. We’ll have to be careful not to give Ruby any more reasons to suspect…”  
“We can take some paperwork with us and keep it totally professional.”  
Regina sat up straight in her chair, daring to reach out and run her fingers over Emma’s hands. Even if anyone came in, they wouldn’t be able to see what she was doing.  
“Won’t that look like we’re trying too hard?”  
Why couldn’t she stop herself from touching Emma? Did the woman have her under some kind of spell?  
“Okay, maybe a casual chat, lasting no longer than the cup of coffee. I’ll draw up a list of possible conversation starters, safe subjects, and…”  
Regina smiled. “I’ll leave it all in your capable hands.”  
“And after coffee…?” Emma left the question hanging.  
“We’ll have to discuss that after work.” Regina reminded her, removing her hands.  
Emma lifted Regina’s coffee to her lips, not drinking from it but pressing her lipstick against the rim so that it left an imprint.  
“Miss Swan!”  
“Enjoy your coffee.” Emma grinned and walked back to the door.  
Regina just shook her head after she had gone, accepting that Emma didn’t like to play by the rules, and that it could have been worse. She ran a finger against the lipstick stain then turned the cup around, refusing to give in, and taking a sip from an unmarked side.  
A little later, when all the coffee was gone, instead of throwing the cup into the bin straightaway, she left it on her desk, with the lipstick side facing her. Whenever she got to a particularly headache-inducing part of her work, she would look up, see it and smile. 

Chapter 21.

Regina watched the clock, as if trying to convey that she was running late and for Graham to finish talking.  
“I’m going to be late Sheriff.” She reminded him for the third time.  
“I only stopped by to make sure that you were feeling okay.”  
“Clearly I am, but it’s been a long day catching up with everything I missed, so if you don’t mind…”  
“Not at all. It’s just that in all the time I’ve known you, there’s never been a day when you were ill.”  
“My luck had to run out sometime.”  
“I went past your house yesterday, to see if there was anything you needed…” He stubbornly remained in his seat, refusing to give up his questions.  
“I have friends who can do that for me. In fact Emma offered to pick up medicine even though it was her day off.”  
Graham looked relieved.  
“That would explain why I saw her leaving your house.”  
“You behaviour is dangerously close to becoming a problem, Sheriff. I already had to deal with Mr Glass this year regarding his stalking efforts, as you well remember. I would hate to put in a complaint about your conduct.”  
“Sydney still comes when you call him, and you need me as Sheriff because there is no-one else who would let you get away with deciding how to deal with those who cross you. Making me arrest Sydney and letting you have a private chat with him while he was in custody… most mayors don’t have that power.”  
Regina picked up her handbag, dropped in her cell and closed it. She stood up, straightening her skirt and walked around the desk until she was standing in front of Graham.  
“You’re right of course.” She told him, smiling as she gripped his chin, digging in her nails. “But this is my town and I do have that kind of power so you will do exactly what I say. It may have been amusing for a while, watching you and Sydney fight for my attention, but I have grown past that. For your own sake, I advise you to let it go.”  
Regina released him and walked to the door, pausing before she opened it. He turned around in his chair to watch her.  
“You asked if we could be friends.” She reminded him. “Be satisfied that I accepted and don’t intrude on my privacy again.”  
-  
Regina checked her watch as she hurried towards the diner. Would Emma have waited for her?  
She smiled as she spotted the familiar blonde hair in one of the booths near the back. Ruby was standing by the table, notepad in hand, but too busy talking to be taking Emma’s order. Regina pushed open the door and walked calmly towards the booth, smiling at Ruby before sitting down opposite Emma.  
“Sorry I’m late.”  
“Not a problem.” Emma reassured her. “Ruby’s been keeping me company. How did your meeting with the Sheriff go?”  
“I don’t want to talk about it.”  
“So what can I get you?” Ruby asked as other customers tried to get her attention.  
“Coffee.” Emma and Regina spoke together.  
Ruby raised an eyebrow but concentrated on writing on the notepad. “Anything else?”  
Emma picked up the menu, pretending to look it over. “Maybe later, thanks.”  
On her way to make the coffee, Ruby had to make several stops at other tables, handing out bills and assuring the other customers that she hadn’t forgotten their orders. Emma and Regina didn’t notice.  
“So what should we talk about?” Regina asked her.  
“I don’t know. I don’t want to talk about the past, or family or anything too personal. At least not yet.”  
“Agreed.”  
“That leaves finding common interests. That’s what friends have isn’t it?”  
“What do you and Ruby have in common?”  
Emma smiled and shrugged. “We both like having fun. I guess we just hit it off when we first met.”  
“Well what do you talk about?”  
“Oh the town and people we know. She knows everyone here, all their stories and if they’re nice people.”  
“I won’t ask what she said about me then. So what books do you enjoy reading?”  
“Anything exciting, there has to be lots of action. I never keep books or read them twice because once I know what is going to happen I find them boring. I’d rather get them from the library or a charity shop, and only pick them up when I want something to read. I’m guessing you read a lot?”  
“It’s the most exciting thing to do in this town.” Regina acknowledged her question with a tilt of her head. “There’s a room in my house with books I like and I do read them again because it can be comforting to know the characters and what the future holds for them. Mostly I stick to the same authors but I have a variety of fiction and non-fiction works.”  
Emma slipped off her left shoe. “Favourite films? TV shows? Hobbies?”  
Regina jumped as she felt Emma’s foot run up her leg, pause at her knee and move back down again. She wanted to turn around and see if anyone was watching them, but remembered that as she had walked towards the booth the area under the table was hidden from view.  
“The news channels, cookery shows.” Regina spoke as though reeling off from a list in her head, trying not to react to Emma’s foot as it switched to her other leg. “I like older films, the kind with storylines and not the big-budget explosions meant to distract from lack of substance. You?”  
“The news channel is important.” Emma agreed. “But comedy shows help me relax after work. Re-runs are the best, back when the humour was fast-paced. I like most films, maybe you could suggest some of the older ones for me to watch?”  
She should pull her legs away, Regina told herself, and tuck them under her seat where Emma couldn’t reach them. Regina couldn’t believe she was sitting here allowing Emma to touch her in public when anyone could walk over and see them. She opened her mouth to say something just as Emma finally pulled away. The sudden loss of contact had her disorientated as Ruby walked over and placed their coffees on the table. Regina watched her carefully as she asked Emma if there would be anything else, but Emma declined saying she didn’t want to spoil her dinner. She was relieved when there were no sly remarks hinting that Ruby suspected they were anything more than friends having coffee together.

Chapter 22.

“Do you have dinner plans?” Regina asked after Ruby had left.  
Emma lowered her voice. “I was going to invite you to the movies, we can get something to eat on the way.”  
“I don’t eat take-out food. Too greasy and undercooked.”  
“They have hotdogs at the cinema.”  
Regina wrinkled her nose. “No thank you. Why don’t I cook something?”  
“I don’t know… It doesn’t seem fair, you cooked the last food we ate.”  
“Breakfast wasn’t a proper meal.”  
“Just because we ate it… where we did, it still counts as cooked food.” Emma’s eyes sparkled under the diners lighting as she reminded Regina of their breakfast in bed.  
“Fine, but if we’re leaving here separately we need to agree somewhere to meet.”  
“Have you finished your coffee?” Emma asked, tilting her cup forward to show Regina she had.  
“Yes.”  
“Okay, lets meet at your house in half an hour, I’ll bring dinner.”  
Regina nodded and Emma slipped out of the booth.  
“I’ll get these.” Regina told her before she could ask Ruby for the bill.  
“Thanks.”  
As Emma rushed off, Regina looked down into her cup. A long time ago she had met a gypsy woman who had promised to tell her fortune just by looking at the remains of tea leaves in her cup. Regina had laughed at her. As she looked down at the last few drops of coffee, she wondered what the woman would have told her.  
“You look lost in thought.” Kathryn told her, taking Emma’s recently vacated seat.  
Regina looked up and smiled at her. “Long day at work. How have you been?”  
“Not bad.” Kathryn tucked her handbag into the seat beside her, clearly planning to stay a while.  
“How’s your accountant? Still dating him?”  
“It didn’t work out. I have some others with potential lined up. What about you? Has the Sheriff convinced you to be more than friends yet?”  
“Hmph. I’m not sure that I want to be friends with him, let alone more.”  
“What happened?”  
Regina waved her hand, trying to dismiss her negative thoughts as she remembered that Emma would be waiting for her. “He’s too… needy? I don’t know if that’s the right word, but he reminds me of Sydney. It just doesn’t feel right with him.”  
Kathryn realised that Regina wanted to change the subject. “So, was that your assistant I saw you having coffee with?”  
“Yes, Emma. If we’re going to be working together it might help to be friends and she seems like a good person.”  
“I’m surprised. I would have thought you’d try to keep a distance between working together and your personal lives. It’s not like she….”  
“What?”  
Kathryn looked embarrassed. “I know it sounds awful, but I just thought you’re the mayor, she’s just a secretary…”  
“PA.” Regina reminded her. “And we work together every day so it helps if she doesn’t act like everyone else around me. Just because I’m the mayor doesn’t mean I like being left out of the office gossip.”  
“Oh, so she’ll be like your spy on the others?”  
“No.”  
The question shocked Regina, reminding her of the type of things her mother said. Growing up she had been told who to make friends with, because their families were wealthy or they had connections with nobility.  
“You are above them.” Cora used to say. “You will be Queen and they will be nothing more than peasants kneeling at your feet. Choose your friends carefully for the status they can share with you, but always remember you have royal blood in your veins. Never trust them. Jealously leads people to look for your weak spots and they will be jealous of you once you wear the crown.”  
Regina looked at Kathryn, trying to remember exactly how they had become friends. She remembered her coming to look at the town hall for permits and information on the houses she was trying to sell. There had been so many visits that after a while Kathryn seemed to spend almost as much time there as she did. Eventually they met at the diner and after Regina had felt brave enough to start up a conversation with her she realised that they had the same opinions and a similar sense of humour.  
Kathryn had been a princess in the Enchanted Forest. It had slipped Regina’s mind when they became friends, but she wondered if the choice had been subconscious. Not that there were many people living here who she hadn’t directly hurt as the Evil Queen.  
Kathryn’s reaction to Emma made her feel awkward. She knew Kathryn was a good friend, someone who would be there for her no matter what, but with her feelings for Emma growing it hurt that Kathryn was so dismissive of her. Of course, she didn’t want to tell Kathryn or anyone else about her relationship with Emma so it shouldn’t matter. She’d made Emma lie to Ruby, she should be able to do the same.  
“Let me grab a coffee and you can tell me more about her. Where is she from?” Kathryn asked, eager for more information.  
Regina glanced down at her watch. “I really can’t stay. Can we get coffee tomorrow?”  
Kathryn looked hurt, then curious. “Have you got plans with someone? Date plans? Is that why you don’t like Graham?” Kathryn leant over the table to whisper as a new thought popped into her head. “Oh my god is it the one you took coffee first thing in the morning? The one you weren’t sure if you had feelings for?”  
Regina had forgotten having that particular conversation with Kathryn. Thank goodness she hadn’t mentioned it was Emma and that she hadn’t been fully dressed.  
Keeping her voice detached, Regina shook her head. “Nothing like that. I have some work calls to make and a dinner to prepare.”  
She picked up her handbag and said goodbye to Kathryn. On her way out she remembered to give Ruby the money for the coffees and left a generous tip. If the girl ever did figure out the truth, it might help to make Ruby like her.  
She was smiling as she left the diner.

Chapter 23.

This time, Regina refused to look at the clock while she waited for Emma. She touched up her make-up, and decided not to change her clothes. When Emma arrived, she had two glasses of wine poured and waiting, the table was set with a basic tablecloth and cutlery, nothing too fancy.  
“So what artery-clogging take-away did you select?” Regina asked her, looking at the plain bags in trepidation.  
Emma smiled as she put them on the table. “Greek. I saw the restaurant and kept meaning to try, so I don’t know if it’s any good…”  
“It should be authentic, though I’ve never been inside, I have met the owners.” Regina told her, picturing both their Enchanted Forest and present personas.  
Emma sat down as Regina began extracting different containers from the bag and setting them in the middle of the table.  
“I just chose the set meal for two, with a side order of chips. I figured if you didn’t like the other dishes, at least the chips were a safe bet.”  
“I hope you don’t expect us to smash the plates afterwards.” Regina chuckled.  
“Huh?”  
“It’s a Greek tradition. Haven’t you heard about it?”  
“No.”  
“It’s mostly at weddings and such, but also when you’re feeling happy.”  
Emma smiled. “I suppose it’s a good way to get out of washing the dishes.”  
“Just a little expensive, buying new plates so often.”  
They ate in silence, each trying small samples of the different dishes and taking another helping when they found ones they liked. Regina finished first, pushing her cutlery to the side of her plate and sitting back in her chair to watch Emma. Her eyes lingered on the tiny curved shell of her ear where she had tucked her blonde hair behind it, the delicate fingers which lifted the fork to her soft lips… Regina unconsciously bit her bottom lip and stretched her legs out under the table just as Emma finished eating.  
“What film did you want to see?” Regina asked, trying to sound nonchalant.  
Emma looked over at her, trying to remember, as Regina picked up a leftover cherry tomato and brought it to her mouth. She cleared her throat.  
“There isn’t much choice at this time in the evening…”  
“I don’t mind, if it’s a film you want to watch. I must confess I don’t go to the cinema…”  
“There’s nothing I really wanted to see, I just thought it would be nice to do something together, like a date.” The words rushed out before Emma could stop them.  
Regina looked amused. “Is the cinema a good place for a date?”  
“Well, we have rushed ahead a bit. The cinema is dark and if we sit in the back row we can hold hands or kiss or whatever without anyone seeing us.” Emma reached out to stroke her fingers over the back of Regina’s hand.  
Regina shuddered as Emma’s nails circled the base of her thumb and turned her hand over to intertwine their fingers, taking control of the contact.  
“So the film itself doesn’t matter?”  
She raised Emma’s hand to her lips and kissed the tips of her fingers one by one.  
Emma shook her head. “No...Perhaps we should go another time.”  
“It’s still early, we could go for a walk?”  
Pushing her chair back, Emma stood up and pulled at Regina to copy her. “I don’t want to go for a walk. Do you?”  
Regina pushed her chair back and stood up, still holding onto Emma’s hand as if magnetised. Emma stepped in close to her and gently kissed her. It only lasted a few seconds. She noticed when Regina glanced back at the table, but kept hold of her hand.  
“We can tidy the dishes later.” Emma murmured as she reached out and brushed her fingers along Regina’s cheek and through her hair.  
Regina pulled Emma back in for another kiss, resting her hand on the back of Emma’s top. She felt Emma tugging at the zip on her skirt as the kiss intensified.  
“Emma…”  
Regina’s skirt fell to the floor.  
“I thought the day was going to go on forever.” Emma began unbuttoning her shirt. “It was so hard just sitting the other side of that door, wanting to touch you and knowing I couldn’t.”  
“We agreed…”  
“I know and I even lied to Ruby, didn’t I? There’s something about you Regina, I don’t understand what it is, but I can’t stop thinking about you, remembering how you feel, how your lips taste against mine…”  
Regina suddenly realised she was standing in her underwear with Emma’s hands ready to unhook her bra. She cleared her throat to get Emma’s attention.  
“Perhaps we should move to another room.” Then to prompt Emma, who just stared back at her: “Somewhere a little more comfortable.”  
“I’ve been waiting all day for this. It’s like an ache that only you…”  
“Emma…”  
“You have too many stairs. Come on Regina…” Emma ran her hands across Regina’s bared skin.  
Regina was torn between her desire for Emma and her distaste for being in the room with the leftover food, dirty plates and uncomfortable floor. She reached out and tugged on Emma’s t-shirt.  
“Just next door then. I could put the fire on and there’re throws on the sofa.”  
Regina grabbed her clothes from the floor without waiting for an answer and bundling them into her arms without worrying about creases. Emma was impatient, but she agreed and moved to the door, looking back to make sure Regina was following. Once they were in the other room, Regina put her clothes in a pile near the sofa, removing her unhooked bra and going to start the fire.  
Emma didn’t wait to watch the flames spring to life in the fireplace. She tossed a few cushions onto the floor while Regina started the fire and laid a throw down to make it more comfortable. Then she removed her clothes as Regina lay down and placed her head on one of the pillows to watch her.  
As the fire grew, light danced along Regina’s skin and Emma felt as though a fever was coursing through her veins. She tore off her underwear, not caring where it landed and positioned herself over Regina, hands either side of her head. Regina had parted her legs so that one of Emma’s knees was in-between them and looked up at Emma wondering what had caused the strange look in her eyes. She was a little bit frightened. This wasn’t a side of Emma she knew. It was a fierce look, one that was at odds with the quiet PA from the office. She searched for the words to bring back the other Emma but they wouldn’t come. Instead, she raised herself up on her elbows and Emma moved closer to seal the kiss.  
It isn’t a gentle kiss this time. Emma demands Regina’s complete submission as she runs her tongue across her lips.  
“Lie back.” Emma instructs her.  
Regina isn’t sure that she likes being spoken to this way and continues to lean on her elbows. Emma moves her head to Regina’s neck, nibbling across to her shoulder. When Regina least expects it, she bites down, hard enough to shock but not to mark the skin.  
“Lie down.” She says again, kissing the spot gently.  
Regina complies without a word and Emma smiles down at her as her hands move to caress soft curves. Something inside her relaxes now that she has Regina under her. The sense of urgency is gone. She takes her time reminding Regina what she can do, how she can make her feel. When Regina orgasms she doesn’t change her position, she is enjoying herself too much and there will be plenty of time to switch places later. 

Chapter 24.

She felt cold when she opened her eyes. It took Regina a moment to remember where she was. Then she noticed that the fire was low. Emma was still asleep, her arm draped across her. She didn’t want to wake Emma, but she was cold so she tugged the throw to cover her a little better. It didn’t budge. Even in her sleep Emma had a strong grip on it.  
As gently as she could, Regina lifted Emma’s arm and slipped out from under it, determined to fetch the other throw. When she came back she laid half of it over Emma. Her next action was not planned, but as she tucked it around Emma she couldn’t help herself. She pressed her lips lightly to the top of Emma’s head. It was barely a kiss, just brushing against Emma’s hair, but Emma’s eyes fluttered open.  
“Regina?”  
“Go back to sleep.” Regina told her, her hand lingering against Emma’s face.  
Emma just looked back up at her. “What time is it?”  
“I don’t know.”  
“It’s cold down here.” Emma said, moving under the throws. “Where were you going?”  
“Nowhere. I went to get the other throw.”  
The look Emma gave her seemed to suggest she didn’t believe her. “Do you want me to go?”  
“No.”  
“Because it’s late or because you want me to stay?”  
Regina secretly wasn’t sure she wanted Emma to stay if it meant losing more sleep. She liked being alert in the office, there were so many times during the day when people seemed to be against her, waiting for her to fail. If she just slipped, for one moment, she was afraid she would lose the reputation she had built up.  
She also wanted Emma to stay. It was nice waking up with someone, knowing she wasn’t alone in the large house. She wasn’t used to the feeling, but she knew it was something she had been waiting for and she didn’t want to let it go.  
Last night though… last night Emma had seemed so different from the person she had begun to know. She had taken control, she had seemed as though consumed by a fire and hadn’t given Regina time to think before acting. Not that it wasn’t amazing, or that it felt like her head was still spinning every time they touched, but…  
Regina’s smile was a little sad as she answered. “Both?”  
“Okay. Can we go upstairs and sleep then? There’s more leg room and my neck prefers proper pillows.”  
Regina relaxed at the reply and held out a hand to help her up. The Emma she knew was back.  
Emma tossed the cushions back onto the sofa and wrapped one of the throws around her body to keep warm. She offered the other to Regina and tucked her arm through hers as they headed to the door. Regina grabbed her clothes on the way past and they made their way quickly up the stairs.  
Emma slipped into the bed first, holding the blanket open for Regina to lie down next to her. The sheets were a little chilly, but Emma pressed her body against Regina’s so that they could share their warmth. Regina was a little relieved when Emma closed her eyes. She didn’t just want a physical relationship with Emma. She knew there should be more, but she didn’t know how to ask. What if Emma was offended? Just because they had spent more time exploring their feelings physically rather than talking about them it didn’t mean that Emma wouldn’t feel the same way.  
She fell asleep holding Emma in her arms hoping that she would have the courage to talk to her about it in the morning.  
-  
“Hey, wake up.” Emma whispered to Regina.  
The words broke through her dreams and she smiled as she looked up at Emma. “Good morning. What time is it?”  
“Early, but I have to get back and get changed for work. I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye, I hope you don’t mind me waking you.”  
“It was very thoughtful.”  
Emma brushed her lips against Regina’s. “It’s Friday today.”  
“I know. After today, no work for two whole days.”  
“That gives us the whole weekend, if you want...”  
“Perhaps we could have that date?”  
Emma frowned. “Does it still have to be somewhere no-one will see us? Or will we have to pretend to just be friends?”  
“I don’t want things to become difficult at the office.”  
“Neither do I.”  
Regina smoothed out the blankets. “We should talk about this later, after work.”  
“I said I’d meet up with Ruby for a few drinks. Saturday lunch time?”  
Regina shook her head. “I’m going shopping with Kathryn. I don’t know what time we’ll finish, but you could come round for dinner? Then I’m free all day Sunday.”  
“That only gives us one day and a couple of hours.”  
“I’ll text you as soon as Kathryn leaves Saturday.”  
Regina’s alarm clock beeped at them and Emma looked at the time.  
“I’m going to be late.”  
She moved towards the door and picked up her keys. Regina wondered when she had gone downstairs to collect her things.  
“I’ll see you at work.”  
Regina was a little disappointed when Emma rushed out forgetting to kiss her goodbye. She counted to ten before getting out of the bed.  
When she went downstairs, after getting ready for work, her shoulders dropped at the mess. She had forgotten the washing up, forgotten the disarray of cushions and throws on the sofa… She hated leaving it, but the alternative – being late for work – was worse. At least she wasn’t expecting visitors tonight.  
\--  
After sneaking back to her room at the B&B, Emma had a quick shower before getting dressed for work. Then she rushed to meet Ruby for their usual walk to the diner.  
“I was beginning to think you weren’t coming.” Ruby said, waiting at the front door for her to catch up.  
Emma pushed her arms through her jacket as she ran down the stairs and grinned over at her friend. “Forgot to set my alarm. Thanks for waiting.”  
“Where’d you get to last night? I came over to see if you wanted to head to the Rabbit Hole but you didn’t answer the door.”  
“I went to catch a movie.”  
“Anything good?”  
“Oh, no, um… I couldn’t see anything I fancied so I ended up going for a walk.”  
“Hey maybe we should go watch something this weekend. What are your plans for tomorrow?”  
“After recovering from the fun we’re going to have tonight?” Emma laughed. “Maybe we should skip the Rabbit Hole and head over there instead.”  
They soon reached the diner, and the rest of the day passed quickly for Emma. She was so busy at work that she didn’t really have time to think about anything beyond answering the phone, replying to emails or sorting through the piles of paperwork sent through from different departments. Graham stopped by to drop off his weekly reports, but Emma was in the middle of a telephone conversation and couldn’t do more than wave him away from Regina’s door. She asked the caller to hold for a second, and then explained to him that Regina was too busy to see anyone right now, before resuming her previous conversation.  
Her one reprieve from the madness was a text from Ruby, reminding her that they had plans for the evening. Emma sent a quick text back to confirm what time they were meeting and went back to work. 

Chapter 25.

Regina switched off her computer and looked up at the clock on the wall. She had completed all of the work she could with ten minutes to spare. There was no point starting something new because she would get caught up and then end up working late. Again.  
“Hey.” Emma stuck her head around the door to Regina’s office. “Do you mind if I finish up early? All the mail’s sorted and I’ve topped up the paper in the printers for Monday.”  
“It’s Friday, go ahead. I’m just packing up myself.”  
“Thanks.” Emma smiled as she remembered the other thing she had come to say. “Oh, and you’ve got a visitor.”  
“Ask them to come back Monday.”  
“He said you’d want to see him. His name’s Sydney something.” Emma paused at the look on Regina’s face when she mentioned the name. “I’ll ask him to come back…”  
“No. Send him in.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Yes, go and enjoy your weekend.”  
Emma winked at her before widening the door to let Sydney into the room. He closed the door and stood by it, clutching a briefcase nervously in his hands.  
“Take a seat Mr Glass.” Regina told him, watching Emma’s shadow in the greyed glass on the door.  
Once she was gone, Regina turned her attention back to the man in front of her. He looked thinner than the last time she had seen him and his grey hairs appeared to have multiplied. Of course that shouldn’t be possible, not in Storybrooke, but then again…  
“Madame Mayor, I…” His hands fiddled with the clasp on his briefcase as he spoke, though his eyes never left hers. “I did as you asked. I have begun to increase my contacts with people living outside Storybrooke, using the Internet to connect with them.”  
“I assume you came here because you have something important to tell me.”  
“Yes… yes, I did the background checks on the two people whose names you gave to me. A lot of the information is still hidden by legal red-tape, perhaps if I had more time I could find someone to help me understand how the protections on those systems work and…”  
“The information, Sydney.” Regina reminded him, plastering a smile of her face when she used his name, and feeling sick at the way he looked back at her.  
“Right, yes here they are. I’ve typed up all the information and put it in these folders for you.” He passed over two blue files, neatly typed and labelled, before closing his briefcase.  
“That’s wonderful. Now, I need you to make sure you delete all of this information from your files.”  
“What?”  
“I want these to be the only copies and I don’t want anyone else to come across this information by accident.”  
Regina slipped the files into her top drawer. She would take them and read them tonight, but she didn’t want him to see her put them in her handbag. That would let him know how important they were to her.  
“Oh I use passwords to protect all of my work. I can assure you…”  
“I don’t care. Delete all the files, shred any paper copies and forget I even asked you to look into it.”  
“I’m still waiting on some information…”  
“Good, any new information should be brought straight to me.”  
“But…”  
Regina’s eyes narrowed as she glared at him. She was pleased to see the fear in his eyes; it meant he would obey her instructions. It was the sort of power she hadn’t had in a long time. Then she remembered that Sydney worked much more effectively when she used a softer approach. When she was angry with him, he tended to drink and cause havoc. When he believed her to be pleased with his work, it made him work even harder. So she softened her glare and smiled again, watching him relax and smile back at her. She gave him a few more words of praise and thanks before hinting that it was time for him to leave.  
Once she was sure he had gone, she took out the files and tucked them into her handbag. They were too important to leave lying around, either at the office or at home. There was only one place safe enough to hide them.  
\--  
Regina curled up onto the sofa and opened the first file. She stared at the photograph for at least ten minutes, searching the face for traces of the little boy she had known. It wasn’t Owen. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Perhaps she should get Sydney to run another search for him, to make sure that he was all right. She still felt guilty for the way she’d acted, but back then she had been fresh from her life as the Evil Queen, some habits were hard to break. He would be all grown up now; he might have forgotten Storybrooke.  
Regina shook her head. No, he might have forgotten exactly where it was, but he would remember Storybrooke, remember her and remember his father. That was the price of love. Painful memories stick in the heart, some as small as pins, others large enough to rip it in two. Each one contains a memory and they were impossible to remove.  
She wouldn’t interfere in his life, but she wanted to know how badly the loss of his father had damaged him. Had she turned him into a monster, the way she had when her mother took away Daniel?  
There were tears in her eyes as she moved past the photo of an adult August Booth. She had planned this before Kathryn’s advice. Although Storybrooke was supposed to be cut off from the outside world, both August and Emma had made it past the barrier. That meant that either they were lying about living outside of Storybrooke before she applied for the job, or they had found a way to avoid the magic.  
Her eyes scanned down Sydney’s information. Orphanage, runaway, managing to avoid the authorities and never returning to the foster system. Then he’d reappeared as an adult, with money, obviously from questionable sources. No real background or any details of his real parents. Nothing to say where he came from. A list of suspected activities which were never proven. Sydney needed to be more thorough. How did Emma even meet someone like this?  
Regina closed the file without finishing it and turned to the other one. She bit her lip as she contemplated what she was about to do. She was risking her relationship with Emma, breaching her trust, but if she didn’t look she would still have doubts. Her mother had made sure that lesson stuck.  
Regina opened the folder. She smiled at the picture of a much younger Emma and ran her finger across it. Would could this file tell her about Emma that could change the way she felt? She didn’t want to know, but she began reading automatically.  
Halfway down the first page, Regina frowned and ran her eyes back up the text. There it was. A familiar name. She opened August’s file. There it was again. So that was how they had met, they had the same first foster carers. Then her eyes noted the dates. If August had left when Emma was still a baby, was it just a coincidence that they met again when they were both older? Why would August abandon her and how would he find her again in such a large country?  
Regina began looking back through August’s file. There was nothing showing why they had been sent there on the same day. Were they related? No evidence of a DNA test. She let out a sigh of relief when she realised that their paperwork predated the arrival of Storybrooke. At least they hadn’t started out here and found a way to leave. The secret was still safe.  
Regina scanned through Emma’s file and let out a sigh of relief. Nothing in her past to suggest that Emma was lying about her feelings. A bit of a loner, maybe, but no record of wanting power enough to hurt other people. No scandals, no drug addiction. Of course it was just a basic check, if she wanted more details of past relationships she was sure Sydney could find them for her.  
She closed the file, stood up and tossed it into the bottom drawer of the desk as she checked the time. Tomorrow she would get Sydney to look into August further. He had a way into Storybrooke and she needed to find a way to fix it.  
She didn’t notice the small newspaper clipping dislodge from August’s file and float under the desk. If she had, she would have seen the familiar style of clothes he was wearing. She might have recognised the hat, or the little boy. It was the only photo of August as a child in the file. 

Chapter 26.

“Shopping with you is like leading an army into battle and returning home without knowing if you’ve won or lost.” Kathryn called out as she collapsed onto the sofa.  
Regina smiled as she placed her shopping bags on the floor and went into the kitchen to put the kettle on. Considering Kathryn didn’t remember their old lives, sometimes she could be eerily accurate in her descriptions. Regina remembered watching men fight, the mud as much a part of their armour as the metal. They fought until they were too tired to lift their swords while she stood amongst them, protected by magic so that she didn’t dirty her clothes. The ones she held the hearts of would stay on the battlefield until she allowed them to leave. Others collapsed where they fought, not daring to turn their backs and run away. They knew they had to choose to fight or she would remove any future choices from their hands.  
She blinked as the kettle began to boil, wondering where her thoughts had been leading her and was a little surprised to find Kathryn standing in the kitchen watching her.  
“You haven’t heard a word I said, have you?”  
“Sorry, I guess I’m just as tired as you are.”  
Kathryn gave a mock gasp of horror and sat down on one of the stools. “You mean for once you’ve reached the limit of your shopping ability? I can’t believe it.”  
“It was your idea to go into the last shop.” Regina reminded her, pouring out the hot water into the two cups.  
From what she recalled, it had been Kathryn’s ability to shop for hours and not hers which had left them out so long. There was always one more shop she had to see, one more items she really needed to buy. Regina just went along hoping Kathryn wouldn’t insist on her buying things she would never wear again. She wasn’t sure she had the time to return them all once Kathryn wasn’t around.  
“I also said we could stop for coffee before heading in there.” Kathryn countered. “We must be getting old. I’m sure when I was only twenty I didn’t feel this way.”  
“Age can be a funny thing.” Regina agreed. “Nothing in life stays the same.”  
“Don’t you worry about it?”  
“What?”  
“Getting old. Being alone in this big house. The one thing I want most of all is to have a family.”  
Regina passed her the cup. “No more luck with the dating scene?”  
Kathryn shrugged and took a sip. “I guess I’m just to fussy. I’m waiting for something that feels right and at the same time I want to rush ahead and be in that perfect relationship. I want to be in the future, with kids, a husband… I just wish…”  
“Be careful what you wish for.” Regina interrupted her.  
She’d had those things once; a husband, a child. She hadn’t been happy.  
“I know it’s silly…” Kathryn continued.  
“It’s not. You deserve to be happy.”  
Kathryn smiled at her. “How did I get lucky enough to have you as my friend? You always try to cheer me up, even when you’ve heard me say the same things a dozen times.”  
Regina blushed at the compliment. She wanted to tell Kathryn how much her friendship meant to her too, but her cell lit up and vibrated against the top of the sideboard. Kathryn glanced over and saw the text message symbol as Regina reached to pick it up.  
“That’s your personal phone, not your work one.” She noted.  
“So?”  
Kathryn just smiled as she drank her coffee. Regina was a private person. She might keep a dozen numbers on there for emergencies, but if anyone rang her it would be work and they’d use the work number. Even when Graham or that reporter, Sydney, rang her. Kathryn had begun to wonder if she was the only person who knew Regina’s private number. That meant Regina had lied to her and was dating someone.  
When Regina looked up from reading the text, she knew that Kathryn had figured something out. She could just say she’d given Emma her number, as a friend, but eventually Kathryn would suspect more was going on. So she told the truth. Sort of.  
“Yes, I’m seeing someone.”  
“I knew it!”  
“But it’s early days and I’m not ready for it to get serious so I don’t want to go into any more detail.”  
“Come on, just a name, or something. How did you meet? How many dates have you had?”  
“Kathryn…”  
“I’m your friend, you’re supposed to want to tell me these things.”  
“I will, eventually, if things work out.”  
“Fine. One last question: do they have a single friend you can set me up with?”  
Regina just rolled her eyes.  
“Well, look into it for me and when you’re ready to talk we can go on a double date. What did the text message say?”  
Regina looked down at her cell. “Just arranging to meet. I said I’d text when we’d finished shopping.”  
Kathryn stood up. “And I’m hanging around keeping you two apart. Say no more, it’s time I went home to put my new clothes in the wardrobe before they crease.”  
“I didn’t mean…”  
“I’m not offended. Really. If I’d known I wouldn’t have gone into that last shop.”  
“But you liked the outfit in the window…”  
“It would have been there tomorrow and I could have gone back for it.”  
“But then I wouldn’t have seen you try it on and told you how great it looked. Remember, you weren’t sure because of the price…”  
“Then I’d have dragged you back next week to look with me.” Kathryn began walking out of the kitchen.  
Regina followed her, helping her pick up her shopping. She had enjoyed the shopping trip. Kathryn had helped her to relax and pick out a few new outfits, to give her something different to wear at work and at home. She still wanted a few more private items, but hadn’t dared to look while Kathryn was with her in case she asked questions. At least now she didn’t have to hide it completely.  
“See you for lunch sometime this week?” Kathryn asked as she reached out to give her an awkward hug goodbye, the shopping bags restricting her arm movements.  
“Of course.” Regina’s upper arms were pinned to her sides but she managed to raise her hands and pat Kathryn’s shoulders.  
And then Kathryn was gone. Regina closed the open door and leant against it. Her heart rate returned to normal and she let out a quiet chuckle. She had survived another shopping trip with the human whirlwind and opened up a little more to her friend. It was getting easier to do.  
Perhaps her mother had been wrong. People could be trusted. Like Kathryn. And Emma.

Chapter 27.

Emma tipped the bottle back and allowed the liquid to slide down her throat. It didn’t really help the hangover she had been carrying around all day, but it eased the pain in her stomach.  
After waking up, still in her clothes from the night before, she grabbed her cell to check the time. It also gave her a chance to check her messages. None.  
Her tongue felt like it had grown a layer of fur overnight, she tried brushing it against the roof of her mouth but that didn’t help. Emma made her way into the bathroom and poured herself a glass of water from the tap, giving her a glimpse of herself she thought she had grown out of. Drinking that much was the old Emma, a much younger Emma who couldn’t handle it any better than she could now. She thought she was past that stage of her life. Clearly she was no more sensible than she used to be.  
She took her time taking her clothes off, sudden movements made the pain in her head worse, and she stepped against the cold tiles of the shower, hoping they would help her wake up.  
God, even the sound of the running water was too loud.  
She refused to give in and switch it off as steam rose around her. She needed to wash. The smell of beer and cigarettes still clung to her from last night and she didn’t want to meet Regina like that.  
She smiled at the thought. Regina wasn’t like anyone she had met before. Sure, a lot of people had looked down at her, just a foster kid, no family, no hoper. There had been so many names, so many reasons people didn’t want to bother with her. None of them even came close to how perfect Regina seemed. She was smart, she was powerful, gorgeous and maybe a little snobbish. That was just on the outside. Something inside her had chosen to look, to really look, at Emma and ask if, just maybe, there was something there worth seeing.  
Emma wanted Regina to see her. She didn’t understand why, but the attraction she felt was so strong it was overriding her usually cautious nature. She didn’t last long in relationships. She took what she wanted, enjoying the good times while they lasted and leaving before it spoiled. With Regina she wanted to prove that she was good enough, that she could be someone the mayor wanted just as badly.  
Emma wanted to laugh as she realised that for the first time, she was chasing someone. It was something she had promised herself to never do. The chaser always got hurt.  
She began to shiver as the hot water turned cold and she realised that she hadn’t even washed her hair yet. That was okay though, she’d suffered through cold-water showers before, she knew how to be quick and keep moving so that the water didn’t feel as cold.  
After her shower, she took her time getting dressed, keeping one eye on her cell. Regina hadn’t said how long her shopping trip would take, so Emma decided to get some lunch and take a casual walk through the town. Perhaps she could spot Regina and … what? Stalk her?  
No. Emma insisted to herself. She just wanted to see how much longer Regina would be. As if she conjured Regina in her mind, she pictured herself casually browsing through a shop and spotting Regina.  
Regina hadn’t seen her, but she had a selection of clothes in her arms and it wouldn’t be long before she wanted to try them on. Emma imagined herself picking up a few random selections and heading into the changing room, peeking through the crack in the door, waiting for Regina. She would pretend to be surprised to see her, ask for her opinion on some of the clothes, then pretending to be too self-conscious to step out of the little cubicle ask Regina to come inside. She would be waiting in her underwear and just the touch of her hand on Regina’s skin would have them kissing in seconds. Regina would push her up against the wall… no, she would back Regina into the wall and remove her clothes…  
A knock on the door pulled her sharply from the daydream and Emma frowned as she realised she needed a release. Hoping it was Regina, but knowing she wouldn’t visit the B&B again, Emma went to open the door.  
It was just Ruby.  
Emma declined the invitation to lunch as politely as she could. Perhaps Ruby could see that she was still tired because she didn’t question her. Probably Ruby was feeling just as lousy as she was this morning, but she had to work and could put on a more cheerful face.  
Emma threw herself onto her bed, pulling a pillow into her arms. It wasn’t the same as holding Regina. She tried to recall exactly how Regina smelt, to trick herself into thinking she was in the room. It didn’t work.  
Perhaps if she just went to find Regina, to see her, it would make her feel better. Regina had promised her time after the shopping trip, then there was tonight and all day tomorrow for them to be together. Something low in Emma’s belly tightened. It shouldn’t be this hard to be away from someone.  
She found herself walking slowly through the town, keeping an eye out for Regina’s car. She ate her lunch sitting on a bench near the shops, trying to look casual. Eventually she walked back towards Regina’s house. She was just in time to see Regina returning home with Kathryn.  
Emma let out a sigh of relief and took a seat at the bus stop. Then she waited.  
And waited.  
She took her cell from her pocket and sent Regina a text message, casually asking if they were still meeting up. When there was no instant reply and a bus began to approach, she looked around. A small shop was directly behind her. At the very least she could pretend to browse through the magazines.  
Emma walked inside and her eyes narrowed at the bright artificial light. She was suddenly aware of her headache again and looked around for something to drink.  
Back outside she returned to the bus stop. There was still a second car outside Regina’s house. She took a sip of her drink and checked her cell again, wondering just how long she was willing to wait.  
Then the front door opened and Kathryn stepped out. Emma raised the newspaper in front of her face. She had picked it up in the store for just this moment. It always looked silly in the movies when a character pretended to hide behind a newspaper, but she couldn’t think of any other way to hide with just a few moments notice.  
She heard the sound of the car starting, listened to it moving away from the house and counted to ten. As she stood up, she received a text message on her cell.  
Emma smiled. 

Chapter 28.

Emma’s mouth pressed against Regina’s, pushing her back against the door as it closed. One hand sliding down to her hip, the other flat against the door to balance her, Emma closed her eyes. She felt Regina relax and reach out her hands to wrap them around her shoulders.  
“God, I missed you.” Emma broke the kiss and looked into Regina’s eyes.  
“I missed you too.”  
Emma nuzzled into Regina, taking a deep breath of her apple scent as Regina arched her throat. “I thought Kathryn would never leave.”  
“We always come back for coffee after shopping.” Regina moved her hands to lift Emma’s t-shirt and stroked long fingers across her stomach.  
“I’ve been waiting all day…”  
“You’re here now.”  
Emma pressed her knee between Regina’s legs, pinning their bodies tightly together. Regina allowed her hands to travel around to Emma’s back, digging her nails in slightly as a warning when she felt Emma’s teeth press into her.  
“I looked for your car in the town…”  
“Kathryn drove. We were a little further out than usual… Wait. What?” Regina twisted away from Emma. “What were you doing in the town?”  
“I just wanted to see you.”  
“You were stalking me?”  
“No!” Frustrated, Emma ran a hand through her hair. “I just, I don’t know. I woke up and all I could think about was you and how much I wanted you to be there. It was stupid going into the town, but I thought if I could just catch a glimpse of you it would be enough until you rang.”  
“I told you I wanted to be discreet about this, I don’t want anyone to find out.”  
“I couldn’t help it. I’m trying to do what you want but it’s hard. I’ve never had to hide before. Are you ashamed of me? Is that why no-one can know?”  
Regina crossed her arms, but couldn’t meet Emma’s eyes. “No, I’m not ashamed of you. My life is complicated. I’m the… mayor.”  
“And the mayor isn’t allowed to date? Or is it just because I’m your PA? Maybe it’s because I’m a woman? Come on Regina, this isn’t the middle ages. People know women can date other women.”  
Regina’s anger flared up suddenly and she became a little more defensive as she thought about her mother and Daniel.  
“This isn’t about you! Can’t you see how much I want you? There are so many complications in my life right now that I’m trying to balance it all and I’m scared that something will go wrong and mess everything up.”  
“Then talk to me about it.”  
“I can’t.”  
“Why not?” Emma stepped towards her, glad when Regina didn’t move further away.  
“Because.” Regina dropped her hands to her sides. “That’s not what we do. We haven’t even had a proper conversation, how can I trust you with …” My secrets?  
Sensing her hesitation and realising that she could understand exactly how Regina was feeling, Emma wrapped her arms around her. “I’m sorry.”  
Regina stiffened in her arms, as if not trusting the apology. Emma didn’t let go.  
“I’m an idiot.” She continued. “Here I am, with a chance to be with the most gorgeous woman on the planet and the one thing she asks me to do, I screw it up. I always do. I’ve screwed up my whole life and when you offered me the job the first thing running through my head was how long it would be before you fired me.”  
Regina’s body relaxed at her soothing tone and Emma risked loosening her arms slightly.  
“I don’t want to lose you Regina.”  
She felt Regina’s hands lifted to her back as she gave her a quick hug. Then Regina pulled away and looked at her.  
“You’re not an idiot.”  
“I…”  
“No.” Regina shook her head. “I’ve been watching you. You’re smart; you just can’t see it. You shouldn’t put yourself down like that. I don’t care what anyone else says, you shouldn’t listen to them.”  
Emma blushed and Regina looked away. Why was she doing this? Just because Emma had said she was gorgeous? Did she feel sorry for Emma, or was she sympathising with someone else who felt like they ruined everything they touched? She needed to find a different topic, or she’d end up kissing Emma again. She wasn’t ready for that. She felt exhausted.  
“Did you have a good evening with Ruby?”  
“I think so. It was a long night.”  
Regina motioned Emma to follow her into the kitchen and shoo’ed her onto a stool while she filled the kettle with water. “I suppose you drank a lot.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Enough to make you act the way you did today.”  
Emma realised Regina was offering her an excuse, a way to blame the alcohol for going into the town to look for her. At least she didn’t realise Emma had been sitting at the bus stop opposite her house and hadn’t questions how she had been able to come over so quickly after receiving the text message.  
“I might still be a little drunk.” She admitted.  
“Did you manage to eat lunch while you were in the town?”  
“I grabbed a sandwich.”  
“Would you like anything else to eat?”  
Emma looked around for a clock.  
“I can wait ’til dinner… That is, if you still want to spend the rest of the weekend together?”  
Regina smiled at her. “I’ll make lasagne. What would you like to do until then?”  
“Why don’t you show me what you brought today.”  
Regina nodded and went to fetch the bags as the kettle began to boil. Emma stepped lightly off the stool and went to pour the hot water out into two cups. The drinks were made by the time she returned and Emma insisted that Regina try the outfits on so that she could see how they looked.  
\--  
Regina watched Emma walking around the garden through the kitchen window. It was time to start cooking but Emma had insisted on collecting fresh apples after Regina had promised to teach her how to cook the turnovers. She watched as Emma’s shirt lifted, baring her stomach, as she reached up. The nights were becoming longer and darker as winter set in, but there was still plenty of light to pick the apples.  
Regina turned away from the window and began arranging the pots and pans she would need. The ingredients for the lasagne had been measured out and the vegetables were sliced by the time Emma joined her.  
“What do we do first?”  
“I’ve heated the water for the lasagne sheets and the frying pan for the mince. Can you put a drop of cooking oil in the saucepan, it will stop the sheets sticking together.”  
Emma followed Regina’s instructions, hovering over her as she began stirring the mince to make sure it was completely cooked. She watched as Regina demonstrated the first layers of the lasagne, then cautiously mimicked her for the last ones. Regina didn’t try to rush her, she knew Emma was nervous, and it felt good to just spend time with her doing something that wasn’t necessarily romantic. Of course, it was still different from how she felt when she spent time with Kathryn.  
Once the cheese had been sprinkled on tip and lasagne was in the oven, Emma started to wash the apples, but Regina stopped her.  
“The turnovers don’t take long to cook. If we wait until after dinner to make them, they’ll be nice and warm when we eat them.” Regina set the timer for the lasagne. “We’ve got 45 minutes.”  
They hadn’t done more than brush against each other since Regina showed Emma her new clothes, their hands accidentally meeting as Regina demonstrated something in the kitchen or they passed each other ingredients. The words suddenly sounded full of hidden meaning and Regina looked apprehensive as she watched for Emma’s reaction.  
“I just remembered I didn’t bring anything over… like clothes, for tomorrow. If I go and get them now it saves me going out later.”  
“It’s getting dark. I can drive you back after dinner.”  
“We’re making apple turnover then, remember? I’ll go now and be back in plenty of time.”  
Emma headed towards the door.  
“You should put on a coat. It’s getting cold.” Regina called out, not trusting herself to leave the kitchen.  
She’s coming back, she told herself as she heard the front door open and close. 

Chapter 29.

Emma checked over her shoulder as she headed back to Regina’s. She wasn’t sure if it was nerves or instinct that made her feel like she was being followed. After spending at least twenty minutes explaining to Ruby that she had made other plans for the evening and trying to avoid telling her why she had the large bag slung over her shoulder, she was eager to get back. She had almost forgotten the surprise for Regina. It was the real reason she wanted to leave. That and because Ruby would ask questions if she saw her wearing the same clothes two days in a row.  
She looked around before stepped off the curb and onto the road. She nearly missed the step when she saw Graham. He was sitting in his car, a few houses down, facing Regina’s and which meant he was facing away from her.  
Worried, in case he had seen her in the rear-view mirror, she walked up to the car and tapped on the window. He looked startled to see her, but wound the glass down.  
“Trouble, Graham?” Emma asked smiling at him.  
“No, just patrolling the streets for signs of potential problems.”  
“I would have thought this was a quiet neighbourhood. All the houses must have at least four storeys.”  
Graham laughed. “The rich can get panicky, so I make sure to come out here when I need a break from the office. Gives them a bit of comfort to see me. Where are you headed?”  
“Meeting friends.”  
“Do you need a lift?”  
“Oh no, it’s just around the corner.”  
“Have a good night.”  
“You too.”  
Emma wondered how she could get into Regina’s without Graham seeing.  
\--  
As the timer went off, Regina opened the over to check on the dinner. It was definitely ready, the cheese was bubbling on top and the smell wafted out into the kitchen.  
It didn’t look like Emma was coming back.  
Regina picked up the second plate and went to return it to the cupboard. As she passed by the window, she saw something out of the corner of her eye and turned to look. As she saw the eyes staring back at her from the darkness, she let out a little scream and dropped the plate, which smashed on contact with the floor.  
Regina looked closer and realised it was Emma. What was she doing in the garden? She quickly went around to the back door and opened it. Emma stood there with a big grin on her face and stepped inside. Regina didn’t know what to say.  
“Why?” Regina finally found one word and used it, as she noticed the mud stains on Emma’s trousers and her top.  
Emma pulled the bag from her shoulder and slipped off her shoes. “Well, first of all Ruby wanted to know where I was going, then after I got away from her I saw the Sheriff sitting outside so I knew I couldn’t just walk in the front door. That only left coming in over the back wall.”  
“You should have called, I’ve been worried. Dinners ready…”  
“I didn’t realise how hard it was going to be to climb it. I tossed the bag over first, so my hands would be free, but it took several tries just to find the right places to hold on. My cell was in the bag so I couldn’t ring to let you know I was coming through the garden. After stopping to talk to Graham I was in a bit of a hurry.”  
“You spoke to him?”  
“Sure. I didn’t know if he’d seen me.”  
“What did he say?”  
“Just that he was doing his usual checks of the neighbourhood.” Emma spotted the remains of the plate on the floor. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”  
“I wasn’t afraid.”  
Emma raised an eyebrow. “Really?”  
“I was going to call the Sheriff about an intruder in the garden.” Regina shook her head and stepped towards Emma, placing her hands at the sides of her face as she spoke to make sure Emma was listening to her. “What were you thinking climbing over the wall? What if you’d fallen and hurt yourself?”  
“I’m fine. Look.” Emma rolled up her sleeves. “Just a small scrape on my elbow and my hands from pulling myself over.”  
Regina looked down. “There are some plasters in the bathroom cabinet upstairs.”  
“I’m not a baby. I don’t need plasters.”  
“At least run some water over to clean them.”  
“I suppose you want me to get changed?”  
Regina nodded. “I’ll wash the clothes after dinner. It should be on the table when you come down.”  
Emma took her bag upstairs, careful not to touch anything with her muddy clothes. She tossed the bag onto the bed, opened it and took out a clean t-shirt and pair of jeans before heading into the bathroom to wash the scrapes on her skin.  
-  
Regina cut the lasagne into six evenly sized squares and took the salad bowl into the dining room. She checked the back door was locked and carried Emma’s shoes in the cupboard out of the way.  
There was a knock at the door.  
“What now?” She muttered to herself.  
As she entered the hallway she glanced up and saw Emma looking down. She waved her away with a finger to her lips and looked through the peephole on the front door.  
“What are you doing here Sheriff?” She asked opening the door.  
“One of your neighbours reported seeing someone trying to climb over your garden wall.”  
“Why would someone want to do that?” Regina kept her voice neutral, hoping Emma’s things were out of sight.  
Graham stepped into the house and Regina closed the door to stop the draft of cold air coming in. He gave a quick glance around.  
“I’d feel better if I could check it out.”  
“The doors and windows are all securely locked.”  
“Then they may still be in the garden.”  
“And you won’t leave until you’ve looked?”  
“It is my job.”  
“Fine.”  
Regina walked quickly as she showed him to the back door. She switched on the light attached to the back wall and told him he had two minutes to look. If she didn’t let him look, he might become suspicious and she didn’t want that.  
He came back and gave her the ‘all clear’, apologising and saying that it must have been a prank call.  
“Perhaps you should go and investigate that.” Regina suggested.  
At the front door he paused and turned back to her. “You know I just wanted to make sure that you’re safe.”  
“So you said.”  
Graham reached out and put a hand on her arm. “Regina…”  
“Take your hand off me.” Regina ordered him, her voice sounding dangerous.  
Regina put a hand on his chest and pushed him back against the wall, stepping forward to make sure that he couldn’t move. “I’ve told you, I’m not interested.”  
“I…”  
“What do I have to do to make you understand that?” Her hand moved up to his neck, but he didn’t try to stop her.  
She held him against the wall, watching as his breathing slowed, remembering other times when she had come so close to wanting to kill him. His neck had held her fingerprints before. If she just pressed a little harder…  
Regina released him as she realised what she was doing. It was something the Evil Queen did, not the mayor. Emma was upstairs.  
“Get out.” She told him, stepping away.  
There was no fear in his eyes as he looked back at her. She could see from the bulge in his trousers that he still wanted her. There was no way he could remember the past, unless subconsciously…  
She opened the door and pushed him outside. “No more parking outside my house. If I see you there again I’ll start looking for another Sheriff.”  
After closing the door, she watched him leave through the peephole, just to make sure he left. When she turned around, Emma was staring down at her over the banister.  
Damn.

Chapter 30.

“I can explain.” Regina began, a little nervous.  
“Go on.” Emma leant against the railing.  
“The Sheriff… he has a crush on me.” She began walking up the stairs, wanting to get to Emma and explain. “I’ve tried telling him that I don’t like him that way but he won’t listen.”  
“That’s why he sits outside your house?”  
“And why he keeps making up excuses for meetings with me, knowing I have more important things to do.”  
Regina stepped onto the landing, watching Emma straighten up and walk towards her. She took a few small steps of her own until they finally met.  
“I don’t blame him.” Emma told her.  
“What?”  
“For wanting you. You’re gorgeous.”  
Regina felt relived; Emma didn’t seem angry or upset with her. “I want you, Emma. Not him.”  
“Good, because I want you too.” Emma reached out to her, pulling her into a kiss. “Do you think we could wait for dinner? I’m not feeling very hungry right now.”  
Regina tightened her grip on Emma’s t-shirt. “I can re-heat it later.”  
Emma smiled and they walked into the bedroom. “I brought a little surprise back with me.”  
“Oh?”  
“It’s the real reason I went back.”  
“What is it?”  
Emma shook her head. “Get undressed first, then I’ll show you.”  
They quickly took off their clothes and Regina climbed onto the bed while Emma rummaged around in her bag.  
“Just lie back and close your eyes.” Emma instructed.  
“Emma…”  
“Trust me.”  
Regina closed her eyes and tried to relax as she felt Emma parting her legs. Her mind was still on Graham, just thinking about him made her…  
Oh God, what was that?  
Regina could hear a strange buzzing noise and jumped as Emma pressed something to her clit.  
“It’s just a vibrator.” Emma explained.  
Regina tried to look down and Emma held it up so that she could see. It was about the size of Emma’s thumb, maybe a little bit longer and looked like it was made of a silver metal. Emma pressed it back against her clit and Regina shifted on the bed as she tried to understand the new sensation against her body.  
“Have you never tried one before?”  
It took Regina a few moments to do more than shake her head. Emma was moving the vibrator up and down, slowly. Speaking suddenly seemed like too much of an effort, but she wanted to know more.  
“Where did you get it?”  
Emma blushed, her concentration slipping, allowing the vibrator to come to a halt. “There’s a shop in the city where they sell lingerie and, at the back sex toys. I picked it up before I came here and some of the special wipes to clean them.”  
“Do you have a lot of these toys?”  
“No.”  
“But you’ve used them before?”  
A slight hesitation, as though admitting it made her uncomfortable. “Yes.”  
“I don’t think we have anywhere in Storybrooke that sells these.” Regina told her, wishing Emma would remember what she had been doing and continue doing it.  
“It’s a small town. You’d probably have people protesting about it, telling you that it was a bad influence on the children.”  
“I assume only adults are allowed to purchase them? The same way certain films have age restrictions?”  
Emma smiled. “You can order them online, from the websites.”  
“And cause a scandal when the postman sees the packaging? No thank you. He already gossips enough about the other residents.”  
“I could take you to the city and show you, if you like? No-one would know us there and wouldn’t even blink to see two women together looking at things.”  
“I can’t leave Storybrooke.” Regina told her.  
“Not even for a day or two?”  
“I wish I could.”  
Emma looked down at her hands. “Perhaps I could persuade you?”  
Regina smiled. “Please, try.”  
There was a click of the button and Regina realised the speed of the vibrations had changed. Emma began moving it in circles over and around Regina’s clit as she pressed a finger just below it. She could see Regina was already close to coming but she wanted to be inside her first. Once she had inserted two fingers, she picked up her movements, the vibrator making her fingers tingle as she moved it. Regina was moving her body and making a quiet moaning noise, giving Emma all the warning she needed. She curled her fingers as Regina’s inner walls tightened around them and kept the vibrator on as she orgasmed.  
It was such a beautiful sight. Emma removed the vibrator and stroked the inside of Regina’s leg with her free hand, just to keep contact with her. When Regina finally opened her eyes and looked at Emma, she smiled.  
“Kiss me.”  
Emma removed her fingers and went to kiss her. She felt Regina’s arm around her, then let her roll them over so Regina was on top. Emma looked up at Regina, wondering what was going through her mind.  
“My turn. Do you trust me?” Regina asked.  
“Yes.”  
“How much?”  
Emma frowned. “I don’t understand.”  
“You saw how angry I was with Graham. You know I’d never hurt you, right?”  
Regina lifted herself further off Emma’s body, keeping her knees parted at either side of her stomach. She moved her hands across Emma’s chest and up to her shoulders.  
“I don’t want you to be afraid of me.” She stroked her fingers at the base of Emma’s neck.  
“Of course. He grabbed your arm and you were just defending yourself.”  
Regina bent towards her, kissing her and then moving her mouth down her neck, whispering between more kisses. “I really like you Emma.”  
Emma tilted her head back to give Regina more skin to kiss. “There’s something else you wanted to say. You can tell me.”  
“How did you feel when you saw me with the Sheriff?”  
“Angry that he was interrupting. Angrier when he touched you.”  
“Anything else?”  
“I…”  
Regina touched Emma’s elbow, stroking her fingers across the wound. There was a hitch in Emma’s breathing.  
“What about when I put my hand around his throat? Did you think I would strangle him?” She touched the red skin on Emma’s hands.  
“No, of course not. I…”  
Regina pulled away. “Every time I mention it, I can feel your body moving. Tell me the truth.”  
“I’m not scared of you.”  
Regina placed her hand against Emma’s throat. “Even now?”  
Emma’s eyes were a little wider, but she didn’t move. “No.”  
“Then tell me what you were thinking.”  
“I thought you looked strong, and brave. You stood up to him and made him leave without hurting him.”  
Regina laughed.  
“Like a lioness.” Emma continued, feeling braver. “Or something, I don’t know. I liked seeing you that way.”  
“Am I not usually like that?”  
Emma shrugged. “Yes, you can be, at the office, but this was more.”  
“How much did you like it?”  
“Enough to want you more than dinner when you came up those stairs.”  
“Because it turns you on?”  
“A little.”  
“Just a little?” Regina began rubbing Emma’s nipples between her thumbs and forefingers.  
Emma nodded.  
“Are you sure?” She lowered herself against Emma, flattening her hands against her breasts and rubbing herself against Emma to cause a little friction.  
“Regina…”  
“Because you’re acting like you enjoy my being on top a little too much.” She smiled as she felt Emma try to rub back against her body and moved her hands so they held Emma’s.  
She forced Emma’s hands above her head and held them there to see what Emma would do. When Emma didn’t struggle or try to move her hands back down, she had her answer.  
“Keep them there.” She told her, removing her hands and going down Emma’s body.  
She picked up the vibrator and switched it on, testing the different speeds. Interesting.  
“You need to use the wipes first.” Emma reminded her.  
“Where?”  
“In the bag.”  
Regina tipped the bag upside down, spilling the contents out, not sure what she was looking for. Emma sat up and described the packet.  
“Lie back down.” Regina said without turning around.  
“How did you know?”  
“I could hear you.”  
Emma gave a quiet huff of annoyance and did as she was told.

Chapter 31.

The hands were not how she had left them. Emma had bent her elbows, bringing her hands close to her head. That wouldn’t do at all. She looked around for something… ah, yes, there…  
“Close your eyes.”  
“Why?” Emma was suspicious.  
“I thought you weren’t scared of me?”  
“Fine.”  
Regina checked to make sure she wasn’t faking, touching Emma’s hands, her wrists, her arms. As she watched Emma relax, she pulled out a scarf and quickly tied it around Emma’s wrists.  
“What the…. Regina!” Emma tried sitting up, tried pulling her hands apart but the scarf was expertly tied and Regina hovered over her, blocking her escape. “Let me up right now!”  
“Don’t you trust me?” Regina pouted but the corners of her mouth were lifting up as she looked down at Emma.  
She shifted a little, moving down Emma’s body and reaching for the vibrator she knew was somewhere on the bed behind her.  
Emma brought her hands down towards Regina. “Untie me.”  
She had to stall. Regina moved off Emma, pretending to reach towards her hands, but instead of untying her, she continued to grope across the empty bed behind her.  
“Now.” Emma told her.  
Regina was ready to give up. Perhaps she had been mistaken. Perhaps Emma didn’t want this. Maybe only she wanted it and she had tricked herself into thinking Emma’s reactions meant it wasn’t just her.  
Then she felt it. Without looking, she switched the vibrator on. Emma heard the noise. Knew what it was.  
Regina licked her lips. It was now or never.  
“Don’t you want to know what I can do to you? What I really want to do?” She asked, lowering her voice.  
It had to be Emma’s choice. She wouldn’t force her.  
It felt like an eternity before Emma replied.  
Regina pressed the tiny button, studying each variation as Emma raised her arms back over her head. When it was back on the low speed she tested it against the inside of Emma’s right thigh. Emma’s leg twitched at the sensation. Regina ran it up and down her upper leg, switching it to the left thigh when she had completed a full circuit. Then she tilted her head as she considered her options. She wanted to make this last. She didn’t want Emma to come too soon, what would be the fun in that? She had to tease her, make Emma want her release.  
Heat spread across Regina’s cheeks as the image. She felt a stirring of her old life coming back into her memory. Her hand paused with the vibrator inches from the top of Emma’s legs. In frustration, Emma closed her thighs, trapping Regina’s hand and the vibrator between them. Regina let out a low growl, warning Emma to release her. Emma just smiled.  
Regina tried to pull out her hand and she found her fingers were able to move slightly, sending the vibrator further up Emma’s legs. The contact had her loosening her grip on Regina’s hand and the mayor quickly took advantage of it. She pressed her lips against Emma’s stomach, then trailed kisses down towards her trapped hand until she could remove it fully. Emma was completely distracted as Regina trailed more kisses down her legs, leaving the vibrator behind still trapped. She felt material brush against her legs as Regina changed direction and opened her eyes to see what was happening.  
“What are you doing?” She asked as Regina lifted her hips from the bed.  
Regina smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m not returning all of your clothes. This will hold the vibrator in place while I attend to other areas of your body.”  
“But…”  
“Uh uh, I thought I told you no talking. It will just distract me.”  
Regina moved the vibrator against Emma’s warm folds, and then straightened the underwear to stop it from moving. Emma began rubbing her legs together, wishing her hands weren’t tied above her head. Regina knew she didn’t have long before Emma’s arousal turned to frustration. At that point Emma might demand to have her hands untied again. Regina had a plan to distract her and keep her aroused long enough to heighten the orgasm. But that would only happen when Regina allowed it.  
She took her time tasting the rest of Emma’s body, a knee pressed between Emma’s legs nudged the vibrator to let out a lower buzz every so often. Using her hands, her nails, her lips and her tongue she teased Emma, altering the sensations on her body enjoying every scent, every taste of the woman beneath her.  
When she was finally ready, Regina gave Emma one last kiss on her lips and began to slowly remove her underwear once more. The vibrator fell onto the bed as Emma opened her legs to help Regina remove them. She whimpered at the lost contact, but Regina ignored it and waited until she had finished before turning her attention back to Emma.  
This time Emma widened her legs, begging Regina with her eyes to finish what she had started. Regina smiled when Emma didn’t speak. She knelt between her legs, pressing nails against Emma’s thighs lightly enough so that they wouldn’t leave a mark, but putting just enough pressure to warn Emma not to close them again. She could see the vibrator and reached out for it, running her fingers against the wetness on its surface.  
“I can see you’re ready for me.” She whispered to Emma. “But I want to hear you say it.”  
Emma arched her body. “Regina, please.”  
Regina ran the vibrator across Emma’s stomach. “Is this what you want?”  
“Yes.”  
“And this?” Regina moved it lower.  
“Yesss.” Emma’s answer came out more like a hiss.  
Regina moved to press her lips against Emma’s clit, feeling satisfaction when Emma groaned. She ran her tongue along the ridge, and gently sucked at Emma, feeling her legs try to close.  
“Don’t stop.” Emma begged her.  
Regina complied, and when she was sure Emma couldn’t wait any more, she slid her fingers in, pushing her over the edge and into an orgasm.  
\--  
Mine, she thought, satisfaction easing her stomach when she finally sat back.  
It was over. Regina took a moment for one final look at Emma, knowing she couldn’t do this again and finally released Emma’s arms.  
The other woman took a second to rub at her wrists, checking her circulation and reached out to Regina, grasping at her hands.  
“That was...” Emma let out a large breath and pulled Regina towards her as she tried to think of the right words.  
Regina let her, looking a little relieved when Emma didn’t push her away.  
“I’m sorry.” Regina told her. “I shouldn’t have done it. I don’t know what came over me…”  
“Regina…”  
“I’m trying to be a better person. I want to be different, to be good…”  
“You are a good person.” Emma hugged her tightly.  
“Graham just made me so I angry, I forgot…”  
“It’s all right.” Emma ran her fingers over Regina’s hair, feeling how soft and smooth it was.  
“No, it’s not.”  
“You asked me, before you started and I said yes.”  
“Not at first.”  
“Well, no. It wasn’t very comfortable.” Emma agreed. “And I don’t think I’d want to do it again.”  
Regina was quick to agree. “I promise I won’t.”  
She wanted that to be true. She shouldn’t feel this way about Emma, shouldn’t enjoy knowing that Emma had let her continue after her hands were tied. Regina shook her head. Just once. It had happened and now she needed to move on. She needed to believe that Emma trusted her and that she could trust Emma. She had to let go of the darkness and try to be happy.  
“I believe you. It’s okay.”  
“I haven’t ruined the weekend? Or… anything?”  
Emma pressed a kiss against the top of Regina’s head. “No.”  
She felt Regina relax. They lay there for a while before Regina finally had the courage to ask one final question.  
“You’re not… I didn’t hurt you did I?”  
Emma’s smile was a little sad at the words. She had seen people in bad relationships before. Ones where one partner came out with bruises and broken bones but couldn’t see that the other didn’t care if they were hurt. She’d heard them ask that same question, always followed by apologies and promises that it was the last time.  
She looked down at her wrists. No marks. For some reason she still trusted Regina. She hoped she wasn’t making a mistake.  
“I’m not hurt.”  
“Good.”  
When Emma twisted her head to look down at Regina’s face a few minutes later, she found her fast asleep.

Chapter 32.

Regina tightened her grip as she slept, as though a little afraid of losing what she held onto. When she opened her eyes she realised it was just a pillow and that she had been having a bad dream. She stretched out her legs and jumped when her feet brushed against Emma’s. Turning over, she found the blonde lying on her back, still asleep.  
She wondered if Emma would mind being woken up with a kiss. After last night, she wasn’t sure she should be making the first move. It she wanted to be with Emma she would have to take a more passive role, to stop her old self from re-emerging. There had been things she wanted to do, things she remembered doing before, but she had held back. Next time she might not have the same level of control.  
She ran the back of her fingers over the tips of Emma’s hair, which was spread out the pillows, just to prove she was in control. Emma didn’t stir, so Regina slipped out of the bed and went to get her dressing gown. It was 7am. Assuming Emma liked to sleep in at the weekend, she could probably take her time making breakfast, but then again she didn’t want Emma to wake and wonder where she was.  
It was a dilemma. Regina looked around the room as she thought. Perhaps if she had a shower first… but the noise might wake Emma. Damn. Breakfast or shower?  
She lowered her chin towards her shoulder and gave a small sniff. Not bad, but maybe a shower would help to clear her head.  
\--  
Regina let the water run until it became hot enough to produce steam as she removed her dressing gown and sorted through her shampoos and conditioners. She wiped away the condensation on the mirror and stared at her reflection as if trying to see some small remnant of the person she once was. There was a slight upturn of her lips as remembered that young girl was long gone.  
Regina turned away from the mirror and stepped under the shower, adjusting the temperature a little lower. The heat felt good, searing against her skin. It allowed her to focus her thoughts away from Emma, to the point where she had almost forgotten the other woman laying on the bed in her room.  
When she had finished and stepped out of the shower, she found Emma waiting for her in the doorway. She had put on one of Regina’s spare dressing gowns. Regina wrapped a towel around her hair, before she could reach for a towel for her body; Emma had walked across the room and held it out to her.  
“Thank you.” Regina paused, feeling a little self-conscious.  
“So, just one day left of the weekend.”  
“Yes.”  
“What do you want to do?”  
Regina shrugged, her skin chilled from the cool air. “I… what would you like to do?”  
“Well, we could go out somewhere, or we could stay in…”  
Regina rolled her eyes as Emma avoided the question and automatically relaxed. She began drying herself with the towel, deliberating slowing her movements as she finished and watching Emma’s reaction.  
“We could…” Emma’s voice trailed off as Regina replaced the towel on the rail and walked past her completely naked.  
“Use full sentences.” Regina reminded her with a smile as she opened her wardrobe doors and began looking through her clothes for something to wear.  
Emma followed her and sat on the edge of the bed. “Maybe a couple more hours here? Then we could go out and get lunch together.”  
“Not at the diner.”  
“Alright. Where then?”  
“You can choose.”  
Emma laughed. “Thanks. I’ll try to think of somewhere.”  
Regina pulled out a black roll-neck jumper and black trousers. “What would you like to do after lunch?”  
Emma stood up as Regina turned around. “Don’t you think that all black is a little severe?”  
“I like black. It looks smart and it goes well with everything.”  
“It makes you look like you’re going to a funeral.” Emma corrected her.  
“What do you think I should wear?”  
Emma blinked and considered the question. “Are you asking me to help you choose your clothes?”  
“You’re welcome to share your opinions.” Regina shrugged. “I might not agree, but I’m willing to listen.”  
Emma walked over and looked at the rails of eerily identical, bland-coloured clothes. “That’s a lot of black and grey.”  
“I have coloured blouses for work. There’s a red dress, but it’s more for evening wear.”  
“What about that blue top you bought yesterday?”  
“That was just to please Kathryn. I’ll probably take it back.”  
“Why? It looked good on you.”  
“It’s too… it’s not the sort of thing I wear.”  
“Because you’re the mayor? You don’t have to dress the same way all the time.”  
“At my age…”  
“Oh please, you can’t be more than, what… twenty-something?”  
Regina turned away and began looking in her underwear drawers. “Nice try, but you don’t need to flatter me.”  
“Come on, how old are you?” Suddenly Emma felt curious.  
“I’m older than you. Does it matter by how much?”  
“No, but…”  
“Then please don’t ask me.”  
“I didn’t think you’d be sensitive about your age.”  
“I’m not. I just don’t want to talk about it.” Regina began getting dressed.  
“Okay,… so if I’m choosing where we’re going for lunch you can choose what we have for dinner.”  
“Dinner! I completely forgot, I left the lasagne from last night just sitting in the kitchen.”  
Emma put a hand on her shoulder. “It can wait.”  
“What about…”  
“You asked me what I wanted to do today.”  
“Yes.” Regina sounded wary. “I’ll have finished tidying before we have to leave for lunch.”  
“I also said we should stay here a little longer.” Emma reached out and pulled Regina’s bra straps off her shoulders, before planting a kiss on the soft curves of skin.  
Regina opened her mouth but didn’t speak. Her body leant into Emma’s as her hands wrapped around her waist. She nuzzled into Emma’s neck, but the towel around her hair hindered her movements. Regina tilted her head back and lifted her hands to remove it. The towel dropped to the floor as Emma reached around her to unhook the bra and whispered in her ear.  
“Are you sure?” Regina asked as her bra fell away.  
Emma took one nipple into her mouth, her lips gently pressed against Regina’s breast as her tongue licked up and around the tip. Regina trembled.  
It was too soon. Emma…  
But Emma had moved on to the other breast, her hands remaining above Regina’s waist, resting on her stomach. Regina shifted her balance to the other foot, her hands resting amongst the golden tangles of Emma’s hair. She sucked on her bottom and closed her eyes as Emma finally pulled away. When she made a move towards the bed, Emma stopped her.  
“My turn.” She commanded. “You want the bed so you can’t have it. Instead I’m going to make you come, right here.”  
“Standing up?”  
Emma nodded, feeling the tiny droplets of water fall from Regina’s wet hair onto her skin. She kissed her before sliding an arm around Regina’s waist, to stop her from moving away. Her hand moved between Regina’s legs as she broke the kiss. Regina sighed as she felt the caress of Emma’s fingers and pushed away the fear that was beginning to build in her chest. What if…  
“Regina.” Emma’s voice called to her and she was helpless to resist.  
She knew it was a mistake. She wasn’t supposed to, but there was something about Emma that made her just…  
“Oh…” She had to bite down on her bottom lip, to stop the words she wanted to say from coming out.  
Regina waited for the release, for her chance to let go of everything, even if it was only a short time. Emma didn’t disappoint her.

Chapter 33.

Regina looked over at the clock. Again. Emma was beginning to get annoyed. It felt like she was wasting precious time, or maybe wishing for it to move faster. This time tomorrow they would be back at work.  
“Why can’t things change?” Emma asked suddenly.  
“Hmm?” Regina hadn’t been listening, but she turned in the chair to give Emma her full attention now.  
“At work. Why do we have to hide all the time?”  
“I thought I explained.”  
“But can’t we at least show we’re friends or something? Friends could just talk and hide out in the stationery cupboard…”  
“Do we have to go over this again?”  
Emma crossed her arms. “What about after work? When are we going to tell Kathryn and Ruby…”  
“I don’t want anyone to know.”  
“Sooner or later…”  
“You’re not from Storybrooke, you don’t understand…”  
“Try me.”  
Regina turned back to the mirror as she applied her lipstick. “I’m not very good at trusting people.”  
“You can trust me.”  
Regina’s hand trembled as she realised that she did want to trust Emma, she wanted to tell her. She stopped herself before the words could slip out. If she told Emma the truth about Storybrooke and her past… she wouldn’t believe her anyway.  
“Not yet.”  
Emma pulled on her jeans. She would let it go, for now.  
“Okay.” She told Regina. “I don’t want to waste time arguing. Let’s just try and enjoy today.”  
“The shops will be closing in a couple of hours. Where did you want to go first?”  
Emma’s stomach growled and they smiled at each other.  
“Lunch it is.”  
\---  
Emma took the stairs two at a time, having forgotten her jacket and Regina waited patiently at the bottom, slipping on her shoes. It didn’t take Emma long to locate it and she ran back down the stairs, ignoring Regina’s disapproving look.  
“You don’t have any photos.” Emma noticed, looking at the walls.  
“No.”  
“Why?”  
“Is it that unusual?” Regina went to open the door, to avoid looking at Emma.  
“Well… what about your family?”  
“My parents are dead.”  
“Oh, I’m sorry.”  
“What about you?”  
“I never knew them, but that’s in the past. Do we have to talk about it?”  
“You started the conversation.” Regina led them outside and to her car, unlocking the doors. “Why don’t you tell me about… August, is it? You said he told you about Storybrooke.”  
“Yeah, he’s kinda like my big brother. If big brothers get into the habit of disappearing into thin air for no apparent reason.”  
“Really?” Regina slipped into the car, her hands gripping the steering wheel as she considered that comment.  
She watched Emma adjust the seatbelt out of the corner of her eyes and remembered to put on her own.  
“Do you have any brothers or sisters?” Emma asked her.  
“No. I don’t have a family.”  
“Just like me.”  
Hardly, Regina thought to herself as she pulled out of the driveway. Not that I can ever tell you the truth.  
Emma remained quiet as Regina drove. The tyres blew up a cloud of amber leaves as the passed along the quiet roads. Eventually the mayor remembered that Emma hadn’t made her choice for lunch, but as she hadn’t spoken and Regina’s feelings were upset from their last topic of conversation, she just kept driving. She turned onto the coastal road, knowing the view would calm her. There was a small café just before the boundary on this side of the town, quieter than the diner because it was so far out. The food wasn’t bad and there were only a half-dozen tables.  
Emma didn’t question the new direction, staring out of the window, lost in her own thoughts. Her emotions were a little conflicted. She was sad that Regina didn’t have anyone in her life, though technically there was Kathryn, she knew how lonely that could be. On the other hand, it made her want to open to Regina more, knowing they had this in common.  
Tiny chips of gravel spun on the wheels of the car as Regina parked outside the café. Emma blinked and looked at her surroundings. She could see the ocean, and when she opened her door it invaded her senses, the sounds and smells calling out for her attention. Emma stepped out and took her time looking at the view.  
“Come on.” Regina told her impatiently as she closed her door. “Let’s get some food.”  
“Where are we?” Emma thought to ask as she turned and followed Regina to the front door.  
“Nowhere special. Just a quiet place to have lunch.”  
There was something in her voice that caused Emma to want to dismiss the words. If this was nowhere special then why would Regina want to have lunch here? Clearly she knew the place well. Emma noted that as she stepped inside, her eyes automatically went to the table she wanted and she walked over to it without hesitation. Emma was left looking around, trying to take in the wood panelling on the walls, the neat tablecloths and the gentle touch of a few flowers on each table.  
“Miss Swan.” Regina called to her, reaching for the menu.  
Emma walked over to the table and took a seat. They were by the window, angled so that they could both enjoy the view with a small turn of their heads. Regina passed her a menu, blocking the view for a moment.  
“Thanks.”  
Emma looked down, not sure what to expect. It wasn’t a simple lunch menu. She could tell it was in French. At least, she was almost positive that was the language. She thought she recognised a handful of scattered words, but what they meant with the rest had her completely confused.  
“What can I get for you today?” A voice interrupted her thoughts.  
Emma looked up at the same time as Regina, and the waitress smiled as she recognised her customer.  
“Oh madame mayor, welcome back. How have you been?”  
Regina smiled back and closed her menu. “Fine, thank you.”  
“What can I get for you today?”  
“My usual, please.”  
“Coming right up. And for your friend?”  
Emma looked back down at the list. Choices, choices.  
“Perhaps a few more moments?” Regina asked her.  
“Uh…” Of course, Regina probably knew French and a dozen other languages.  
Emma just felt stupid. And they were still waiting for her to answer.  
“No. I’ll have… whatever she’s having.” There, at least that was an answer.  
The waitress nodded and walked back towards the kitchen. Emma folded her menu and tried to prop it up next to Regina’s, but just knocked them both over. Regina quickly took charge and placed them both upright.  
“So, do you come here often?” Lame question, Emma, so lame.  
“Enough to keep them in business.” Regina surprised herself by answering.  
Of course, this little place always put her at ease. The people had been servants in her fathers house, after her mother had ‘left’. They had looked after him even when her reign as Queen was over and those who had feared her clamoured for the Charming’s notice. Her father had needed people around him and they had been company she could not provide with her heart hardened against everyone. Loving him didn’t mean that she could always show the affection he needed. So now she tipped them enough to make their lives comfortable and in return they didn’t have to advertise the café more than necessary.  
Emma noticed that Regina looked a little sad as she stared at the door that led to the kitchens. Time to try and lighten the mood. But what they could talk about? She realised that she didn’t really know very much about the mayor.  
“Are you going to tell me what we’re ordered?” She asked, studying the pattern on the silver cutlery.  
The corners of Regina’s mouth lifted a little. She muttered an obscure little phrase and Emma sighed.  
“Can you at least give me a clue?”  
“It’s French.”  
At least I was right about that. “Do you speak French?”  
“Oui.”  
Probably the only word I know. “Any other languages?”  
“I’ve picked up a few things over the years. What about you?”  
Nothing I could repeat in a respectable place like this. “I never had the patience to learn the lists of new words and how they fit into a particular order...it just seemed too complicated. Have you ever been to France?”  
Regina made a face. Emma wasn’t quite sure what it meant.  
“I don’t travel. Maybe one day… but my life is in Storybrooke.”  
“Don’t you get a vacation? I’ve travelled a bit, but never out of the country. Staying in one place too long…”  
Before Emma could finish the sentence the waitress had brought over their drinks. She had assumed that Emma would drink whatever Regina usually had, pouring two glasses of a red wine before returning to the kitchens.  
Regina raised her glass to her lips as she considered Emma’s last words. She’d read Emma’s file. She shouldn’t be surprised that eventually she would want to leave, but she hadn’t given much thought to when that would be. Had Emma already started to consider it? She wasn’t sure how she should feel about that. So she took another sip of the wine.

Chapter 34.

The lunch lasted longer than either of them had anticipated. Despite the lack of customers, the service was slow, giving the wine time to relax Regina. Emma had switched to her preferred alcohol when the waitress returned to refill the drinks. Regina assured Emma that everything was prepared fresh and not to worry about the time, the shops would still be open.  
“I don’t think you should drive back.” Emma told her, finishing the coffee she had ordered with her dessert.  
“You’re not driving my car.”  
“We could call a cab.”  
“I haven’t drunk that much.”  
“Look, it’s the last day of the weekend…”  
Regina waved the waitress over. “How much have I had to drink?” She demanded.  
“Um..,” The waitress looked around for some support, but found none. “One bottle, a little less I guess.”  
“There, you see, and you had a glass…”  
“All right.” Emma surrendered, glancing out of the window as she tried to think of an alternative. “Why don’t we go for a walk.”  
The waitress walked away, glad for the chance to escape the awkward questions. She wondered if she should get the bill or wait until they asked for it.  
“What?”  
“Instead of going shopping, we could take a walk… You said I could choose what we do today.” And the fresh air might give Regina a chance to walk off some of the wine.  
Regina looked to the window. It would be quiet, not many people came out here, and the weather looked clear. If they went shopping there would be people around them. Regina wasn’t sure she wanted to run into Snow White while she was out with Emma.  
“Fine.” She agreed, looking around for the waitress.  
-  
The tips of Emma’s ears were frozen. She shoved her hands deeper into her pockets, wishing she hadn’t suggested going for a walk. She hadn’t realised how much colder it was so close to the sea.  
“We can turn back if you like.” Regina offered, refusing to put her own hands in her coat pockets in case she ruined it.  
Emma looked at her, and then offered out her hand to hold. “There’s no-one around.”  
Regina’s head turned as if expecting to see someone following them. Of course, there wasn’t. They were out of sight of the café and too far from the road. She waited for Emma to drop her hand, but Emma just smiled nervously back at her, waiting. Regina’s hand twitched and she brought the other around to steady it. Holding the back of her hand, feeling the warmth and seeing how Emma’s hand didn’t waver she finally gave in, sliding her fingers through Emma’s. Emma moved closer and took a step so they were still walking away from the café. Regina followed, their arms now parallel.  
Emma broke the silence first. “It’s Ruby’s grandmothers birthday next weekend. There’s going to be a party.”  
“How old is Granny?” Regina asked, wanting to laugh. Perhaps I did have too much wine.  
“No idea. Ruby said she doesn’t dare tell anyone, but she still wants to celebrate it.”  
“I assume she’ll be holding it at the diner. Are you going?”  
“I said I would. Do you want to come too?”  
“With you?”  
“Look, it doesn’t have to be a date. I’m just inviting you to the party.”  
“I don’t really know Granny that well.”  
“Everyone knows her. You eat at the diner.”  
“I get coffee from there.” Regina corrected her.  
“Whatever.” Emma tugged on her hand. “Please, come and keep me company. I still don’t know that many people in town yet.”  
“I don’t… do parties.” Or social events of any kind with anyone in Storybrooke.  
“Ruby told me. Is that just because you’re the mayor?”  
“No. I’m just too busy to attend, and I doubt I know any more of them than you.” She looked around. “Perhaps we should start to head back before it gets dark.”  
Emma slowed and looked around. They had walked pretty far already.  
“Will Kathryn go?”  
Regina turned around, still holding onto Emma’s hand so that Emma had no choice but to go with her. “I don’t know. She might not have been invited.”  
“It’s an open invitation to everyone in Storybrooke. Ruby’s telling everyone who goes to the diner.”  
Except me. Regina wanted to say.  
It hurt that Ruby hadn’t invited her. Not that she wanted to attend. There’d probably be fatty finger foods and sugary desserts – things she’d never eat. She wasn’t surprised Ruby didn’t like her, she had never bothered hiding her opinion of the girls clothes or general attitude.  
“So…” Emma nudged her with her elbow, still waiting for an answer.  
The café came into view. They still had a good ten-minute or so walk ahead, but Regina disentangled her hand from Emma’s to be safe. Emma looked hurt, so she tried to give an answer that would make her happy without promising anything.  
“I’ll think about it.”  
“Seriously?”  
Regina nodded, feeling her hand start to grow cold again. “Are you happy for me to drive home now? Or do you think I need a coffee first?”  
Emma looked ahead and realised why Regina had stopped holding her hand. She smiled a little in relief and thought the question over. Regina didn’t seem drunk.  
“It’s really cold out here, do you mind if we get a coffee anyway, just to warm up?”  
Regina quickly agreed and they walked a little faster. Emma insisted on paying for the coffees because Regina had paid for lunch.  
It was nice, Regina thought to herself as she held the warm cup in her hands, having Emma offer to buy her coffee. It felt good to have someone to hold hands with when it was cold outside. Having Kathryn as a friend was okay, but being around Emma was so much… more.  
Then Graham walked into the café and her good mood was spoilt. What was he doing here? She put down her coffee and judged the distance to the front door as he walked over to the counter.  
“Are you ready to go?” She asked Emma, praying he wouldn’t look over and spot them.  
Emma turned to see what had caught her attention. “You shouldn’t have to leave just because he’s here.”  
“I don’t want any trouble.”  
“What’s he going to do? It’s a public place.”  
“And I’m the mayor. I just want to go home. Please, Emma.”  
Emma lowered her cup as she saw the plea in Regina’s eyes. “I’ll pay. You can go to the car, if you want.”  
Regina smiled at her, before turning to collect her coat. As she walked to the front door her eyes wanted to look around, but she stopped herself from giving in. If he looked around, if he saw her…  
Please, just let him come to the office tomorrow.  
She could deal with him then. When she was in her office and the mayor, not here as Regina spending the day with Emma. God only knew what he would say if he suspected… Tomorrow was better, with Emma unable to see or hear what happened from the other side of a closed door.  
Regina made it safely outside and unlocked her car with a sigh of relief. She reached for the door, pulling it sharply towards her as she heard footsteps behind her. At least Emma was ready to go. She just wanted to get home and have a quiet afternoon together. Coming out was a mistake. She wasn’t ready to have anyone see them together and jump to the right conclusions. It was too big a risk.  
The footsteps stopped behind her, the reflection the window not Emma. 

Chapter 35.

A hand reached out to stop her from opening the door any further. Regina spun around, feeling angry at how scared this secret had made her.  
“Can I help you Sheriff?”  
He stood close enough to impose on her personal space, but far enough away that if she reached for his throat he would have time to move away. Regina’s eyes narrowed as she realised there might be witnesses and that was not an option unless he made a more threatening move. She snatched her arm away from the door when he reached towards it and folded her arms as she stared back at him, waiting for a reply.  
“We came to get some lunch and saw your car…”  
“We?”  
Graham turned his head slightly and Regina realised that she hadn’t really looked at the car park when she left the café. She spotted Graham’s car and raised her hand to wave when she saw Kathryn waving at her.  
“What do you want?”  
“Nothing. Kathryn thought you might want some time on your own, she said you like to come here to think…”  
“She told you about this place?”  
“I’m the Sheriff.” Graham reminded her. “It’s my job to know everything about this town. I prefer Granny’s diner to this place, but I thought Kathryn might like it.”  
“Are you on a date?”  
“No.” He answered quickly, shaking his head for emphasis. “We’re just friends.”  
“Well you can go in and enjoy your lunch, I have finished mine.”  
Perhaps if they went in now they wouldn’t see Emma join her at the car. When she realised Kathryn had left the car and was walking over she tried to look a little more relaxed. Her phone beeped and she took it out of her bag, smiling at the message on the screen.  
“You’re welcome to join us.” He offered, relaxing at her false smile.  
“Thank you, but I have other plans.”  
“Hey.” Kathryn greeted her.  
As she came to stand near Graham, he stepped back a little, giving Regina more space. She adjusted the keys in her hands and reached for the car door.  
“Enjoy your lunch.” Regina told them, focusing on Kathryn’s face and trying to sound friendly. “I have to get going.”  
“We’re still meeting for lunch this week, right? I want to hear all about yesterday.” Kathryn winked at her. “I’m assuming you replied to the text…”  
“Tuesday should be free.” Regina cut her off sharply, slipping into her seat.  
She smiled to let Kathryn know she wasn’t angry with her, hoping that Kathryn wouldn’t tell him about her date. Her eyes flicked to Graham as she started the engine. He closed the door for her and they waved goodbye as she drove out of the car park.  
Regina slowed as she reached the main road, eyes scanning either side. It wasn’t long before she spotted Emma and pulled over. The younger woman got in as quickly as she could.  
“I saw him talking to you when I was about to leave.” Emma explained, pulling on the seatbelt. “I thought you might prefer it if I snuck out the back and met you out here so they didn’t see us leave together.”  
Regina felt pleased, the same way she had when she read Emma’s text message. “Thank you.”  
“Maybe you could give me some ideas for a present for Granny. I know we’re not going shopping today, but I don’t trust Ruby’s ‘old lady stuff’ theory – I’ve seen the way she looks at that young mechanic when he comes in with his tattered t-shirt.”  
“I think she’s a little old…”  
“Sure, she might like Marco for his personality and because he’s a little closer to her age, but I’m guessing that’s where Ruby gets her wild streak from. She treats Marco with a larger slice of pie than anyone else, but I swear it sounded like she was flirting with whatshisname…”  
Regina laughed. “It sounds like you know her a lot better than I do.”  
“But you’ve known her longer…”  
“I never paid any attention to the way she acted around Marco or the mechanic.” Regina quickly glanced towards Emma, a small smile on her lips. “But I will next time I’m in there.”  
They drove back to Regina’s home with Emma asking questions about her friendship with Kathryn to keep things light, and talking about her own friendship with Ruby.  
-  
Emma turned towards Regina as they lay side by side in the bed. “I need to go home and get ready for work at some point. I didn’t bring any spare clothes with me.”  
“Did you want to leave tonight, or in the morning?” Then, in an attempt to make her want to stay: “I could make you breakfast before you leave if you want to remain until tomorrow.”  
“I’m not really a morning person.”  
“I understand.” Regina turned her gaze away from Emma, staring at the ceiling as though it was suddenly very interesting.  
“What I mean is… sometimes when I’m tired I’m grumpy.”  
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me, dear.”  
“I don’t want you to think I don’t want to stay…” Emma moved her arm and laid it across Regina’s stomach, wishing the other woman would look at her.  
God, why did all the emotional stuff have to be so complicated? Emma had never really spent time trying to explain herself to anyone before, but she didn’t want to hurt Regina’s feelings. Why was it so hard to say what she wanted to?  
“We’ve had a nice day together…”  
“Regina, I want to stay. I just don’t want to start the day badly, we’ve got to go to work together and…”  
“It’s your decision.” Regina finally looked back at her, reaching to touch the hand against her skin.  
“I don’t want to start the day off with a fight because I say the wrong thing in the morning. When we’re at work, I don’t want to be worrying that you’re still upset with me…”  
“I think I’m little more professional than that…”  
“Then I’ll stay.” Emma moved to kiss Regina’s cheek and brush some hair away from her face.  
“Only if you want to…”  
“I want to, but you have been warned...”  
Regina turned on her side and stroked Emma’s ear, running her hand down to her neck and along to her hip. “I’m willing to take the risk.”  
Then she kissed her before she could utter another word, or change her mind.  
-  
The next morning she waited for Emma to bring the coffee to her office. Her worries about her emotional state in the morning had proved to be overstated. Regina just gave her plenty of space, making a large breakfast and putting a packet of cinnamon on the table so Emma could add it to whatever she wanted. She waited patiently until Emma was awake enough to want to talk and was pleased when Emma gave her a hug and kiss goodbye before rushing off to get changed for work.  
The smile Emma gave her when handing over the coffee made her heart beat a little faster, and she couldn’t help but smile back. At least no-one had been around to see it and she tried to concentrate on her work and forget that Emma still wanted an answer about Granny’s party. She received a text message from Emma asking if she had given any more thought to present ideas.  
Emma: Even if ur not coming 2 the party, I still need help buying something. Do u want 2 go shopping 1 day after work? x  
She quickly replied, not giving her mind time to think up an excuse not to go shopping.  
Regina: After the town meeting tomorrow. It should finish early and we can go straight from there.  
She refused to put a kiss at the end. What if someone saw it?  
Emma: Great! Can I c u 2nite? x ;)  
Regina: You’re always welcome for dinner.  
She wondered if Emma was laughing at her for using full words in the text messages instead of the shorter versions. Inviting Emma to dinner also meant that she would need to get a few more ingredients, she was running low on food now that she seemed to be feeding her so often. She’d made Emma a sandwich for lunch when she made her own. It hadn’t been a conscious decision, but the bread was buttered before she knew it and rather than waste it she had wrapped it up and handed it to her as she left. Regina grabbed a scrap piece of paper and began writing a shopping list. She could head out a lunchtime and drop everything off on her way back. 

Chapter 36.

Saturday came around a lot faster than Regina realised. Before she knew what was happening, she was walking next to Emma and on her way to the diner for Granny’s part. Emma had stayed the night before, arriving with the present wrapped and ready to go, assuring her that she still had time to make a decision.  
“I didn’t get her a present.” Regina reminded her as they turned a corner, almost there.  
Emma handed her a small item from the bag she was carrying.  
“What’s this?”  
“Present for Granny. I’m your PA, it’s my job to anticipate these things.”  
“You brought something for me to give to her?”  
“I knew you’d come. Don’t worry, it’s just a simple gift, nothing too extravagant.”  
Regina held the door open for Emma to enter the diner. There was no time to say anything further about it now. It looked as though half the town had come for the party, with only standing room left.  
“There’s Ruby!” Emma said, starting to move in that direction.  
“I’ll get us something to drink.” Regina told her, diverting to the bar.  
She stood next to Archie as she waited to be served. It was only slightly better than the other gap next to Leroy. For some reason the gap remained there even when more people wandered over for a drink.  
“After you.” Archie deferred the barman to Regina and smiled at her.  
She wasn’t sure if he did these things because she was the mayor or because she was a woman and he had held onto his past-life nature. He always offered to hold doors open for her and once tried to share his umbrella. There was no way she would stand under that thing. She had seen him use that opening line to strike up a conversation with Leroy and within minutes had him admitting that getting drunk all the time wasn’t the best way to keep his job.  
“I can wait.” She told him coolly.  
Archie shrugged. “Two beers please.”  
She ordered her drinks once he was served and watched him walk over to Marco. Of course they were sitting together. The booth still had room for two more people. She saw Emma notice it and watched Archie waving in her direction.  
Please no, she thought to herself, we’ll find somewhere else.  
She saw Sydney walk in. He came over to the bar, keeping a respectful distance from her. Perfect.  
“Why don’t you go and sit with Dr. Hopper and Marco.” She told him, passing over one of the drinks she had ordered and signalling to the barman that she now required another.  
He looked down at the drink now in hand, confused. “What…”  
“You’ll enjoy their company. Go on. Quickly now.”  
He turned to do as she asked, making it to the seats before Emma. Regina smiled and collected the new drink from the barman, handing over some money. She walked over to Emma, noting that the presents had gone to the table set up at the end of the diner.  
“Here you go.” She said, passing over one of the glasses.  
“Thanks.”  
They were knocked together when someone walked past and bumped into Emma. No-one would dare do the same to Regina, but she had to turn to allow Ruby past a few seconds later.  
“It’s a little crowded in here.” Regina noted.  
“I guess Granny is really popular.” Emma turned to Ruby who came to join them. “How long has the diner been here?”  
“As long as I can remember.” Ruby replied automatically.  
Regina tried not to laugh. “When does the birthday lady arrive?”  
“Any minute. I gave her gift vouchers for the beauty salon as her present and had Mary Margaret accompany her.”  
“How long do you think she’ll put up with the pampering?”  
Ruby glanced over Emma shoulder. “I would have lost a bet on it.” She clapped her hands together to get everyone’s attention. “Here she comes. I’ll go and get the cake.”  
As the crowd swelled around them, Regina smoothly moved out of the way to let them greet Granny first. The older woman looked amazed that so many people were in her diner and blushed a little as everyone came forward to wish her a happy birthday. Ruby appeared with the cake and put it up on the bar where everyone could see it.  
“Who baked this?” Granny asked with a smile for her granddaughter.  
“Don’t worry, its homemade but I had a little help from Mary Margaret.” Ruby laughed, pointing out her co-conspirator. “And see, just a few candles so no-one has to know how old you are this year.”  
“Thank you.” Granny closed her eyes and blew out the candles.  
Everyone cheered and Ruby handed her a knife so that she could begin cutting the cake. Emma spotted Regina and moved towards her, leaning against the counter so they stood next to each other.  
“Hey, why are you hiding over here?”  
“I’m not hiding.”  
“I never thought of you as the wallflower type.”  
Regina cleared her throat. “I’m not.”  
She just didn’t want to spend time in Snow White’s company more than she had to. The little traitor was taking centre stage, standing by Granny and helping to pass out the slices of cake. She looked happy. Everyone looked happy. There had to be a flaw in the curse somewhere.  
“Damn, you really don’t enjoy these things do you?”  
“It’s not my idea of fun, no, but it could be worse.” Then, eager to change the subject and avoid asking how much longer Emma wanted to stay: “Would you like me to get you a slice of cake?”  
“I’ll get it. Leroy looks ready to start a fight the way he’s not getting any closer to the front of the queue.”  
Regina was a little relieved. “Let me hold your drink then.”  
“Thanks.” Emma passed over the glass and headed off towards the bar.  
“Enjoying the party?” Sydney asked once Emma had left, sidling over to take the empty space.  
Regina shrugged non-committally. “Is it a big story for the paper, this party?”  
“It could be a feel good fluff piece, but not something I’d personally write. Granny is a big part of Storybrooke, perhaps if she was reaching a milestone year…”  
“Which of course you’ve researched…”  
“Of course.”  
“So what are you doing here?”  
“Wishing her a happy birthday, the same as everyone else.”  
“I didn’t realise that you were so close.”  
“She… she helped me through a difficult period of my life a while back… she listened to me and gave me someone to talk to, after refusing to sell me anymore alcohol once I’d reached my limit.”  
“The sign of a good bartender.” Regina sounded sarcastic.  
“No, it was more than that. She really seemed to care.” He looked into her eyes as he spoke. “Something I needed.”  
It wasn’t a subject Regina wanted brought up. She had given him a useful job in the town, why did he always want more from her. It didn’t matter how often she told him, in this world or the last, he still hoped she could care about him. Why didn’t he understand?  
She saw Emma coming back towards her with two plates and stepped away from Sydney. “Good day, Mr Glass.”  
“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you at one of these social events in the town before.”  
Regina checked Emma’s status and saw she was delayed talking to someone. “Everyone knows Granny. I just wanted to wish her many happy returns.”  
“Yet you moved away from her when she arrived, it’s curious…”  
“Enough.” She reached out and grabbed Sydney’s arm, her nails digging into his coat.  
Her body shielded her actions from the rest of the room. She glared at him, letting him see her full hatred. He reached for her, but she stepped out his way, releasing her own grip on him. She didn’t want him touching her.  
Her back connected with two plates of cake behind her and she winced as she felt the contents pressed into her coat.  
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!”  
At Emma’s voice she took a deep breath. Sydney slipped away as she turned to face Emma and she tried to smile. Emma looked horrified at what had happened.  
“How bad is it?” Regina asked.  
“I’ll take it straight to the dry cleaners and get it cleaned.” Emma promised.  
Regina slipped the coat off and held it out. “It was my fault, I wasn’t looking where I was going.”  
“I was rushing over… is it ruined?”  
She took a serviette from Emma and wiped chunks of cake back onto the plates. Those closest, who had witnessed it, were still watching them. Regina smiled at them to let them know everything was fine and hoping they would go back to their own conversations.  
“It’s just cake, it’ll wash off.”  
“Regina, I’m so sorry…I’m such a klutz sometimes…”  
“It wasn’t your fault.” Regina repeated, giving up on the coat. “I’ll just take the coat home. It won’t take more than a few minutes with some warm water to wash it off.”  
“Okay, I’ll come with you.”  
“You should stay and enjoy the party.”  
“No, if you’re going…”  
“I think I can manage on my own. They’ll miss you…”  
Emma shook her head. “Give me two seconds to say bye to Ruby.”  
“It’s too early for you to leave, she’ll want to know why…”  
“But…”  
“No, stay.” Regina allowed her hand to brush against Emma’s for a few seconds as she put the serviette on a plate. “I’ll see you later, okay?”  
Emma nodded. “Of course.”  
“Enjoy the party.”  
“I’ll try.”  
Regina laughed and folded her coat over her arm, turning to leave. The exit was blocked by Mary Margaret, forcing Regina to stop for a moment.  
“Leaving so soon?” Mary Margaret asked, concern in her voice, then she noticed the coat in the mayors arms. “Oh dear, what happened?”  
“Just a little accident with some cake.” She took a step forward, but the younger woman didn’t move.  
“If you need any help getting it out, I know…”  
“It’s fine. Excuse me.” Regina reached for the door and Mary Margaret was forced to move away.

Chapter 37.

She stepped outside, taking a deep breath and looking down at her coat. If something like that had happened while she was Queen…but for some reason she wasn’t angry with Emma. It felt strange, as though the missing emotion wasn’t important.  
“You seem to be spending a lot of time with your new secretary these days.”  
At Sydney’s voice her anger surfaced, like an old friend, wrapping around her. She turned towards him, hiding her reaction at his comments in case anyone inside the diner was watching. Regina headed down the road, knowing he would follow her and hoping no-one was listening. She suspected where the conversation was headed.  
“Miss Swan is my PA. She is also my friend. I do hope you aren’t returning to old habits, I would hate to have to speak to the Sheriff about this.”  
Sydney smiled at her, as though he knew she was trying to hide something. “I didn’t think the two of you were as close anymore.”  
“Whatever you think you know, is it worth your job?”  
“You wouldn’t…”  
She allowed the cruel thoughts to show in her eyes. “Try me.”  
“Regina, I…”  
“It would be so easy to find another editor for the paper and remember, broken restraining orders and criminal records can destroy a career. Some of your investigation techniques may need to be reviewed. I’m sure the Sheriff would act on an anonymous tip-off if enough evidence was provided.”  
“I’m just worried about you. What do you really know about this woman…”  
“Oh the information you provided was more than helpful.”  
“I don’t want you to get hurt.”  
“Unless you have anything new to add on her background… I didn’t think so.”  
She remembered that she was supposed to be nice to him. Keep him on her side; keep him useful. Make him… Regina smiled and stopped walking.  
“You’re right.”  
“I am?”  
“I’m spending a lot of time with Miss Swan.”  
“Ooookay.” He didn’t try to hide his surprise at her change of attitude.  
“I need to know that I can trust her. She’s my PA and I have to give her access to important files at work. We also have to work together; you know how busy my life can get and she can make my job easier.” She reached out and smoothed down the jacket arm she had so rudely grabbed earlier, as if trying to erase any creases.  
Sydney practically swooned at the contact. His eyes pinned hers and he eagerly listened.  
“I’m sure you understand that I just want what is best for the town. Late night meetings, things like that, they’re just part of the job. It would be dreadful if someone were to get the wrong impression. Rumours can be so ugly, don’t you agree?”  
He nodded. “I understand… I wouldn’t want anything to hurt you.”  
“Thank you. I knew I could rely on you.”  
“So there’s nothing between you and Emma?”  
“Oh Sydney.” She finally withdrew her hand. “I’ll let you in on a little secret.”  
“Yes?”  
“I did overhear the Sheriff asking her out. Not that it’s print worthy news, mind you. So don’t go thinking about writing it up in a story. I’ve read your local gossip columns…”  
He laughed nervously. “Whatever you say madame mayor.”  
“That’s my… that’s right.”  
“Would you like me to escort you home?”  
It was the least she could do, Regina supposed. She nodded but didn’t hold out her arm. That was one rumour she didn’t need started.  
-  
Thank goodness it was the weekend. Emma hadn’t realised how late it was until she was leaving the party. She checked for anyone watching her as she headed to the manor. The coast seemed clear.  
She rang the doorbell and scanned the empty street as she waited. Within seconds Regina was there, pulling her inside, her hands and mouth exploring every inch of Emma as soon as the door closed.  
“So you missed me?” Emma asked as they broke for air.  
Regina wondered whether to tell her. If people were starting to get suspicious she should end this now. The only other option was… no, she couldn’t think of that.  
“Emma…”  
Emma’s hands were reaching for the zip on the back of her dress. Soon she wouldn’t be able to think clearly enough to talk to her. Her hands were still wandering across Emma’s skin and her feet were moving backwards, towards the stairs.  
“How’s your coat?” Emma thought to ask her as she reached for the support of the banister on their way upstairs.  
“I’ve left it to soak in some cleaning products, it doesn’t matter.”  
“If I’ve ruined it…”  
“I’ll just buy a new one. It’s not important.”  
“But…”  
“It’s just a coat, Emma.”  
Emma shivered at her name. The way Regina said it made her want to press herself against the mayor and… well, they were about to do that anyway, so she just smiled to herself and closed the bedroom door when they entered. Regina had already closed the curtains and there was a soft music playing from somewhere in the room.  
“The weekends don’t come often enough.” Emma told her as she removed her jeans and tossed her jacket onto the back of the chair.  
“I see you every day at work.” Regina reminded her, the dress already on the floor around her ankles. “Aren’t you tired of my company yet?”  
Emma stalked over, a look on her face that answered her question. She wrapped her arms around Regina’s neck, looking into her eyes as she kissed her. Regina’s arms snaked around her waist and pulled her closer.  
“Did you enjoy the party?”  
“Yes. Granny says thank you for the present and I snuck you some cake. It’s in my jacket pocket, probably a bit quashed now, but it’s a good cake…” She squirmed as she felt Regina tug at her panties, trying to pull them down.  
“You’re a very thoughtful person.” Regina told her, before capturing Emma’s bottom lip between her own and running her tongue along it.  
Emma just moaned and pushed her hips forwards, nudging Regina towards the bed. Regina released her and Emma quickly removed her bra as she scrambled on top of the covers. Within seconds Regina followed, hovering over Emma’s body, trapping her on the bed. Her hands moved to Emma’s face, tracing the curve of her cheeks and across her lips. Emma shivered at the intimate look in her eyes, waiting to see what she would do next.  
“I still owe you for Granny’s present.”  
“No, it was my idea to get her something.”  
“How much?”  
“I told you…”  
Slowly Regina lowered her head to Emma’s body and began to kiss her, all the way down to her belly button. She paused and looked up at Emma, a smile on her lips.  
“Don’t stop.” Emma begged her.  
“I want to repay you.”  
“Then just keep going.”  
“Emma…”  
“Please, Regina…” Emma grabbed her hands to get her attention. “Not now.”  
“But…”  
“This is our time, for just us. I don’t want to waste it.”  
Regina pulled her hands from Emma and traced her nails along the path her kisses had taken as she thought. Eventually she nodded. It felt like time moved so much faster at the weekends now. She couldn’t believe how long Emma had already been in Storybrooke and wondered if the curse would affect her. Would Emma begin to age? Regina stroked across a sensitive area of Emma’s skin, realising that she was picturing Emma in the future, still in her life. She frowned, knowing that the point of the curse was for nothing to change. Yet here Emma was, and she wasn’t alone.  
“Hey, what are you thinking?” Emma asked.  
Regina shook her head to clear the thoughts. Emma was right; she didn’t want to waste their time together. You never knew how long things would last. She had to focus on the present.  
“Are you okay?”  
“Yes.” Regina smiled down at her, brushing away the hair on Emma’s forehead. “Let me show you how much I appreciate you…bringing me some cake, and getting Granny’s present.”  
Emma smiled as she realised Regina was going to stop at ‘you’. She knew the ending was just part of her defences. That was all right, she understood. 

Chapter 38.

“Knife and fork.” Regina said, wincing as Emma picked at the food on her plate using her fingers.  
Emma shrugged. “It’s fine. You should try it.”  
“Civilised people created cutlery for a reason.”  
“I’m not a child.”  
“Children eat with their fingers.” Regina countered.  
Emma rolled her eyes. “They’re fries.”  
“And this is a nice restaurant, with the food on plates and cutlery is provided for a reason.”  
“Next week I’m taking you to a drivethru movie and we’re getting takeout to eat in the car.”  
“Sorry to disappoint you, but there is no drive thru movie place in Storybrooke.” Regina smirked at the idea of outsmarting her.  
“They’re using a projector and screening something on the side of one of the buildings. I saw a flyer.” Emma waved a chip as she spoke, declaring her victory.  
“What movie?”  
“No idea. I can’t remember.”  
“Well I don’t allow the consumption of food in my car.”  
“I’ll hire a car. With blacked out windows…” Emma lowered her voice and leant across the table. “So no-one can see us. We can do whatever we want.”  
“In a car?”  
Emma shrugged. “We can hold hands, kiss…”  
“Oh.” Regina looked around to see if anyone was listening, thankfully lunchtime was over and the nearest people were a few tables away.  
She jumped as Emma’s foot slid up her leg and quickly moved it out of the way. “Not in public, remember.”  
“No-one can see.”  
“We’ve talked about this.”  
“It’s Sunday. One of the only two days I’m allowed to see you properly.”  
“In private, Miss Swan.”  
Emma threw the chip back down onto her plate. “I think you can call me Emma at the weekend, when we’re not working.”  
“Then don’t do you-know-what when we’re out.”  
“I can’t help it. I just want to touch you.”  
Regina smiled. “We can go home if you want, back to my place.”  
“We’ll just get distracted, I want to spend time with you, really spend time with you. I thought you wanted to get to know me too.”  
“I do.” She pushed her half-eaten meal away from her and sat back in the chair. “You’ve told me about August, your sort-of big brother. What about where you grew up? Tell me about your life before Storybrooke.”  
“Not much to tell.” Emma shrugged and looked down at her plate, pushing some of the remaining fries around with her fingers. “I was in the foster system, I moved around a lot. Then I was old enough to be on my own and I got a couple of jobs to survive. They didn’t pay well but I had a roof over my head. One day August showed up with the job advert for your PA position and the rest you know. You?”  
Wanting to copy Emma’s level of openness, Regina tried to work out exactly what to share. “I grew up in a good home, I was never good enough for my mother but my father loved me. She tried to arrange a marriage for me into a good family. Then they died, I came to Storybrooke and became mayor. Now that’s covered, perhaps you’d like to know my favourite colour? It’s red. Your turn.”  
Emma just stared at her. “Your parents tried to force you into an arranged marriage?”  
Regina sighed. “It wasn’t unusual in our family. He was a lot older, but it would have increased our social standing.”  
“Did you want to marry him?”  
“Of course not! Now, can we please change the subject?”  
“What happened?”  
Regina removed the napkin from her lap, dabbed at her lips and placed it on the table. “It wasn’t a request, Miss Swan. I don’t want to talk about it and I won’t. Now, let me pay the bill and then you can ask me any question about the present you like. I have told you about my past, more than I should have.”  
“Black.”  
“I beg your pardon.”  
“My favourite colour. It’s black, because it’s dependable. All the other colours like green have different shades and get called silly names like emerald or clover. With black, it’s just black.”  
Regina chose not to correct her. As the Evil Queen she had entire wardrobes of black clothes and each one had a distinctive shade. Of course that had been when she had rooms filled with wardrobes. Those were the days.  
“So,” Emma continued. “Why red?”  
It was the colour of blood, the colour of hearts…. “It’s the colour of the apples on my tree. I grew it myself, from my childhood garden.” Damn, she had just said she didn’t want to talk about the past. “And it’s the colour of your lips, dear.”  
Emma blushed.  
-  
Regina insisted on driving them around. She insisted on helping Emma pick out new clothes for work. Then, when Emma tried to look at clothes she didn’t approve of, she sulked and refused to comment when Emma tried them on. She frowned even deeper when she saw that, actually, some of the choices weren’t as bad as she feared.  
“You just have to remember that we have different tastes.” Emma told her, putting the bags in the back of the car.  
“I know.”  
“You’re attracted to the things you know will suit you, but that doesn’t mean that they’ll suit me too.”  
“My awareness of clothes exceeds yours.” By a good decade or more.  
Emma opened the door and got into the car at the same time as Regina. “I don’t think I’m ready for all those blacks and greys you wear. I like a little more colour. It’s nice to have a few casual clothes too.”  
“That last store was certainly casual.”  
“Low necks are not the end of the world and they weren’t really that low.”  
“I was referring to the price, but perhaps that is why they lacked a lot of material.”  
Emma laughed. “Now you’re starting to sound like one of my foster mothers. She was always worried my clothes were too revealing. If she’d actually visited my school she would have had a heart attack.”  
“I shudder to imagine it. While I admire flaunting a little bit of skin, there comes a point when it is just not professional.”  
“Some of the outfits are casual, remember. For the weekend or if I go out to a bar with Ruby and Mary Margaret again.”  
Regina started the engine, but didn’t put it into gear. “They’ve invited you out?”  
“Well, I haven’t spent much time with them recently. I told them my weekends are booked pretty solid so we might head out on a weeknight.”  
“Not too late I hope.”  
Emma rolled her eyes.  
“Miss Swan you will have work the next day and I don’t want a PA who turns up drunk or with a hangover, unable to carry out her duties.”  
“That’s three.”  
“What?”  
“Three times today that you’ve called me Miss Swan. It’s Sunday, remember?”  
“I’m aware of the day.” Regina began to reverse out of the parking space. “… I apologise… Emma.”  
“Thanks. Now, lets go and drop these back off at my place then we should still have a couple of hours together.”  
“You’re not staying the night?”  
Emma turned in her seat so that she could look at Regina. “I don’t want to intrude.”  
“I thought you were fine with staying after last week…”  
“I didn’t want to presume to stay, just because…”  
“If I didn’t want you to stay I would tell you. I like having you to myself from Friday evening to Monday morning.”  
“Me too. Having you, I mean. Or us. Whatever. Like I said, I wish it could be all the time… but I know, I know, it has to be a big secret.”  
Regina bit her lip as she considered mentioning her conversation with Sydney. She couldn’t bring herself to admit that there were times she wanted more. 

Chapter 39.

Lunch with Kathryn again. Now that she had Emma for company, Regina wasn’t enjoying spending time with the other woman as much. At least she didn’t insist on shopping trips at the weekend.  
“How was your weekend?” Kathryn asked as she sat down.  
“Fine.”  
“I heard you came to Granny’s party.”  
“Where did you hear that?”  
“I had to work late but they were still talking about it when I arrived.” Kathryn casually browsed the menu, even though she had been to the diner enough times to know what Granny offered.  
“I wanted to offer my birthday wishes, after all I visit here often enough.”  
“It wasn’t so much the fact that you attended as the incident with the cake.”  
Regina knew Kathryn was watching for her reaction, so she chose to pretend it didn’t matter. “Just a few crumbs on my coat. They washed right out.”  
After three days of her own failed attempts and a last minute desperate visit to the dry cleaners. She had dropped a few hints about permits and regulations, and they insisted that she leave it with them for two days. When she collected it the stains were gone.  
“And it was an accident, of course?”  
Regina frowned. “Of course.”  
Ruby brought over their coffee without being asked. That was one of the perks of visiting the diner regularly for lunch. Ruby jotted down their food order before heading over to the kitchen.  
“Who was responsible for it?” Kathryn continued, folding the menu and trying to look innocent.  
“No-one is responsible for an accident.”  
“I know, I just wondered…”  
“My PA, Miss Swan, but I think you already knew that.”  
“Regina, I’m just worried about you.”  
“You shouldn’t be. I can take care of myself.”  
“I never see you at the weekends anymore. We used to have lunch two or three times a week, but now… have I done something to upset you?”  
“No.”  
“I just want to be your friend Regina.”  
“You are, dear.” Regina smiled at her.  
“Then why do I feel like you’re pushing me away? Is it because I tried to set you up with Graham on that blind date? I just want you to find someone worthy of you.”  
Regina felt a cold draught run across her skin. The words were too close to her mothers. She shook her head. Letting Kathryn share her problems made her feel better, because they weren’t her problems.  
“I just have a lot on at work. I promise, I’ll have more time soon, I just need to juggle a few things.”  
Kathryn smiled, relieved. “Good. I miss talking to you. Maybe you could give more work to your PA, she’s been with you long enough to pick up the ropes and get settled in.”  
“Perhaps.”  
“Then we can go out for drinks one evening. We haven’t done that in soooo long.”  
Ruby slid their lunch onto the table and walked away, without checking if they needed a refill on their coffees. Regina looked down at the salad and wondered if the ingredients were fresh. The tomato looked a little too soft.  
“Regina?”  
“Hmmm?”  
“Girls night out?”  
“Oh sure.” Then she had an idea. “The Rabbit Hole? Maybe on a weeknight? I can get Miss Swan to arrange my schedule so I get a late start the next day.”  
“Perfect. Let me know which day suits you.”  
“No blind dates, though.” Regina warned her.  
“Of course not. We’ll be in a bar. We can study the guys before choosing one.”  
Regina decided, for the sake of their friendship, not to answer.  
-  
She waited an hour after returning from lunch to speak to Emma. Making sure her lipstick was still perfect in the little compact mirror she kept in her purse and then pulling a pile of papers in front of her to look busy, Regina pressed the button on the intercom.  
“Miss Swan, would you mind coming in here a moment?”  
“Sure.” Emma’s voice came through eagerly. “I mean, of course, one moment Ms Mills.”  
Regina chuckled to herself as she reached for a pen and held it over the paperwork. She allowed Emma a smile when she entered and watched her close the door.  
“I need you to rearrange my schedule for Thursday.”  
“Okay.”  
“I want all of my morning appointments either pushed forward to the afternoon or rearranged for another day.”  
“No problem.” Emma jotted the mayor’s words down on the notepad she had brought in with her. “What’s the special occasion?”  
“I’m going out with Kathryn for a few drinks the night before.”  
“I thought you didn’t go out on work nights? You said….”  
“I know what I said, but…”  
“What? Is it different because it’s Kathryn?”  
“She’s my oldest friend, and…”  
“I’m just…” Emma shrugged as if she didn’t have the words. “…not important?”  
“I never said that.”  
“You didn’t have to.” Emma stuck the pen in the top of the spiral bound notebook and turned to leave.  
“Miss Swan…”  
“Was there something else, madame mayor?” Emma didn’t turn around.  
“No.”  
Regina could be stubborn and right now Emma wasn’t making it easy for her to remember what she wanted to say. Once Emma had gone she remembered. Emma had been the one to say she was going out for drinks with her friends first. It had seemed like the perfect way to show Sydney, and anyone else who was starting to get suspicious, that they were wrong. She would go to the bar with Kathryn, follow her lead and let the men there flirt with her. She could pretend to be interested without actually leaving with any of them and throw her watchers of the scent.  
Regina had chosen the evening she knew Emma would be at the bar. She was torn between seeing Emma during the week and just seeing her at the weekends. Part of her was afraid that spending too much time together would make Emma think she could act differently at work. Perhaps this way she could make Emma jealous. 

Chapter 40.

“It’s like she intentionally trying to make me crazy.” Emma whispered into the phone.  
She had called August because there was no one else she could talk to. Of course he was a thousand miles away, travelling goodness only knew where so all he could do was offer a few words of comfort. He told her he just wanted her to be happy and that he thought Storybrooke was a good place for her to find what she wanted.  
“I’m not saying that’s with Regina, trust me I can’t imagine anything further from that, but you have a real opportunity here to find…”  
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it.”  
“Emma, you’re not a child anymore. You know how the world works, you know that…”  
“Do you think that just for once you could, I don’t know…”  
“Tell you that love will change her? That everything will be okay and you’ll find your happy ending?”  
“Maybe a less sarcastic answer.”  
August laughed. “I didn’t think you believed in that kind of thing.”  
“I don’t. I just want to know that it’s going to be possible for someone, someday to fall in love with me and be able to tell me that in public.”  
There was a burst of static on the line.  
“You still there?” Emma asked.  
“Yes, but I’ve got to go. Sorry.”  
“Of course you do.”  
“Look, I want to talk to you some more about this thing with Regina but now’s really not the best time. I promise, I’ll call you as soon as….”  
The line went dead. Emma threw the phone onto her bed and grabbed one of the pillows. She held it to her face and screamed into it, frustrated.  
Temper tantrum over, she retuned the pillow to its place and looked around the room. Well, there was nothing to do here.  
-  
When Wednesday evening finally arrived, Regina had a change of heart. Emma had been so distant since she mentioned going out with Kathryn that she wanted to call the whole thing off. Kathryn wouldn’t take no for an answer. She insisted on Regina accompanying her to the bar, using emotional blackmail when please had no effect. Regina gave in, but refused to dress up. She made Kathryn sit in a quiet corner, allowing her to get the drinks and giving her a chance to talk to the single men at the bar. As she waited alone, she watched for a sign of Emma and Ruby. It was like anticipating the next clap of thunder or flash or lightening in the sky. Every time a blonde head moved in the bar she turned to look at them, just in case it was Emma.  
By the end of the night she was feeling disappointed. Kathryn was sitting at the bar flirting with a man on either side of her while she waited back at their table for the promised next round of drinks.  
“Looks like you could do with some company.” Graham told her, slipping into Kathryn’s empty chair.  
Regina resisted the urge to stand up and walk away. “I’m fine. I’m here with Kathryn.”  
“She’s been over there for nearly twenty minutes. You looked lonely.”  
“What were you doing? Sitting in a dark corner watching us?”  
“It’s a bar, I was enjoying a quiet drink. I can’t help noticing the most beautiful woman in the room, can I? I’m only human.”  
He leant in towards her and she could smell the beer on his breath. She edged away from him, wishing Kathryn would look around and see her. If only she had her magic, or even his heart, but she hadn’t thought to carry it around 24/7 and it didn’t really fit in her evening purse.  
“God you’re so perfect, I just wish you’d give me another chance.” He continued, sitting back in his chair and frowning as though he could read her thoughts.  
“I’m not perfect.” She told him, this time speaking with less hatred.  
“You’re smart, you’re gorgeous… of course you are.”  
Regina looked over as he spoke, feeling herself relax a little. After years of being told by her mother that she wasn’t good enough it was nice to hear someone say she was. Even if that person was Graham, and she wasn’t even controlling his heart this time. He took her attention as his queue and continued to flatter her, complimenting her on the way she handled being the mayor, her confidence and whatever else he could think of. Eventually he eased into asking her questions and trying to get her to open up to him. When Kathryn came back to the table, she looked almost sorry to interrupt them.  
“Ben’s offered to give me a lift home, he said we could drop you off first. I think I’ve had a little too many to drive. Do you mind?”  
“Of course. Are you sure you don’t want me to drive? I haven’t drunk a lot.”  
Kathryn giggled. “No, I thought I might offer Ben some coffee…”  
“I could walk you home.” Graham offered, trying not to look too eager.  
“Ooh that’s a good idea.” Kathryn said, pulling her coat from the chair. “What do you say Regina?”  
“I can call a cab.”  
“I promise, I’ll just walk you home, nothing else.” Graham told her.  
Regina looked between her friend and the Sheriff, trying to decide. “I guess…”  
“Great.” Kathryn put her coat on. “I’ll call you tomorrow…”  
Regina stood up and Graham offered to hold her coat for her. She thanked him and slid her arms through the sleeves. They walked out of the bar in silence. He stood on the roadside of the pavement and kept a couple of inches distance between them, to show he was on his best behaviour. At her house, he waited by the gate and watched her open the front door and go inside, with just a wave of his hand to say goodbye. Regina smiled and gave a small, regal wave in return.  
She locked the front door once she was inside, kicked off her shoes and hung her coat in the hall closet, allowing herself to yawn freely. Regina checked her watch and was surprised at how late it was. She climbed the stairs slowly, not bothering to switch on the lights. She knew exactly how many stairs there were and followed the banister automatically turning as she felt it curve. In her bedroom, she reached for the lights and began undressing. On the street outside a dog barked and was shushed by its owner. Regina escaped under the covers of her bed, not bothering with her silky nightwear and switching the lights off from the switch at the side of her bed. As she placed her head on her pillow and closed her eyes she found herself falling asleep.

Chapter 41.

She was having such a nice dream. There was a beach filled with golden sand, a warm sun and an endless blue ocean. She was lying on a towel with her eyes closed, wearing a little bikini and listening to the sounds of the waves. She heard someone come to lie down next to her and felt soft lips brush against her own.  
“Mmm…” She smiled and kissed them back, not needing to open her eyes to know who it was.  
“Regina…” The voice called, like a faraway whisper.  
When cold hands stroked the side of her face, the shock was enough to wake her and she opened her eyes in panic, reaching for the lights and switching them on.  
“Hey, it’s just me.” Emma told her, lying on top of the duvet with her hand still touching Regina’s cheek.  
“What are you doing here?”  
“I wanted to apologise for getting jealous.”  
“And you couldn’t wait for the morning to tell me?”  
“I missed you.” Emma tugged at the top of the duvet, revealing Regina’s shoulders and she ran her fingers along the exposed skin.  
“We agreed, no staying here during the week.” Regina tugged at the duvet, but Emma had an elbow holding it down.  
“I just thought if you’d drunk enough to let Graham walk you home you might not mind…”  
“Were you spying on me again?”  
“No, I just spotted you at the bar. You looked so cozy with him and then you let him walk you home, I just wanted to make sure you were all right.”  
“I didn’t see you there. I was looking for you but…”  
“Ruby cancelled on me, so I went there for a quiet drink.”  
“You could have come over and sat with me.”  
“We’re supposed to give each other some space, remember? So no-one gets suspicious.”  
“So you just sat there all evening watching me?”  
Regina ran a hand through her hair, sitting up away from Emma. It was like Sydney all over again. She shook her head. It shouldn’t be like this. She didn’t want someone to act that way over her. It wasn’t love, it was obsession and that was dangerous. She hadn’t realised how dangerous Sydney could be until it was too late. This was supposed to be her new life, she wanted to do things right.  
Emma sat up and watched as Regina tucked her knees up to her chest. She tried talking to her, calling her name, but Regina didn’t seem to be able to hear her. “Regina!”  
She didn’t mean to shake her but she needed Regina to listen to her. It worked, but the way Regina stared at her didn’t make her feel any better.  
“Listen to me, I…”  
“Emma…”  
“No, I need to say this…”  
“What?”  
“I don’t want to mess this up, but the way I feel…” Emma paused and bit her bottom lip.  
She’d never had to have this conversation with anyone before. It was hard to know where to begin. “You drive me crazy, you know?”  
Regina let out a small laugh. Emma shook her head. Why wouldn’t the words come out how she meant?  
“It’s been a long night.” Regina told Emma, before she could say something that required an evaluation of her own feelings.  
“Sorry.” Emma slipped off the bed and began walking to the door.  
“Wait.” Regina said, as Emma reached for the handle.  
“Yes?” Emma looked at her with hope shining in her eyes.  
“You can stay tonight.” Regina held up her hand to stop Emma’s reply. “But this is the only time I’m relaxing the rule. Just for tonight.”  
“I don’t care.” Emma began unbuttoning her jeans.  
“And we’re going straight to sleep. I’m very tired.”  
“Me too.” Emma agreed, struggling to remove her socks from her standing position and hopping over to the bed with them half on.  
“Okay.” Regina slipped back under the covers and waited for Emma to climb on the bed before switching the lights back off.  
“’Night.” Emma whispered, trying to move her body closer to Regina’s as quietly as she could.  
“Good night.”  
Regina shivered as cold hands made contact with her body. Emma muttered an apology and moved them away. With a sigh, Regina turned over and draped an arm over Emma, tucking her in closer. She didn’t want to wake again to cold hands and this was the quickest way to warm her. That’s what she told herself, as she drifted off to sleep. Thank goodness she didn’t have to get to work early tomorrow.  
-  
In the morning, Regina woke to find herself in Emma’s arms. It took her a little while to remember what day it was and she reached for her cell to check the time, to make sure she wouldn’t be late for work.  
Emma woke and placed a kiss on her shoulder. “Morning.”  
“Good morning.”  
The screen lit up and she sighed in relief, placing the cell back on the table and lying back in the bed. “I guess I didn’t need to cancel those morning appointments.”  
“Does this mean we get to stay here a little longer?” Emma asked. “We could take another sick day.”  
Regina suddenly remembered Emma’s words from the previous evening. She might make Emma feel crazy but the other woman was slowly getting to her too. For a moment she had actually considered agreeing to her idea.  
“No, you still have be at work on time, but I’ll make you breakfast.”  
“Pancakes?”  
Regina smiled. “All right.”  
Emma kissed her. “I lo… love pancakes. You’re the best.”  
Regina’s narrowed her eyes at Emma’s words, guessing what she had been going to say. Emma was blushing and avoiding eye contact, placing her hand over Regina’s stomach.  
“We should get up.” Regina reminded her.  
“Okay. Can I borrow a shirt or something? It’ll be quicker than going home to get changed.”  
“I’ll have a look.” Regina slipped out of the bed and walked over to her closet, beginning to sift through the assorted garments until she found one she hadn’t worn for a while.  
Hopefully no-one would recognise it as hers. When she turned around she found Emma standing in front of her mirror running a brush through her hair. Two seconds later and she pulled it back into a ponytail.  
“Nice and easy.” Emma said in response to Regina’s stare.  
“Have you considered trying a different style? Or moving the parting?”  
“No, I never really had anyone to talk to about hair growing up. One of my first foster mothers used to do it up like this because it was the quickest way and she hoped it would keep me from getting nits if it was up. When I was old enough to do it myself I just figured if it saved time in the mornings I could spend the extra time sleeping.”  
“My mother always told me how to wear my hair, I could never do what I wanted with it. That’s why I cut it when I moved here. It was the first time I was free to do have it the way I wanted.”  
“Maybe I should cut my hair.”  
“No. I like it long.”  
Emma held out the brush. “Maybe you could show me what you think I should do with it?”  
Regina looked at the brush and back up at Emma. She remembered Snow White asking her the same thing. Back then she had wanted to pull out the insufferable child’s hair and strangle her with it. There was something so trusting in Emma’s eyes that reminded her of Snow White.  
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Emma lowered the brush, looking disappointed.  
Regina placed the shirt on the bed. “I do, but I should really be getting breakfast started. Maybe… if you come for dinner, I could help you with it then.”  
“Really?” Emma’s eyes lit up.  
“Yes.”  
Emma raced over to her and gave her a hug. “Thanks Regina.”  
Regina patted her awkwardly on the back. “Now, get ready for work.”

Chapter 42.

Regina sighed as she deleted another junk email from clogging up her inbox. Helping Emma with her hair, being comfortable spending time with her, showing her things – this was never something she had expected. Emma did little things for her too. She’d offered to check the windscreen wash in Regina’s car and show her how to check the oil and coolant levels. Usually Regina left that to her mechanic, taking the car in for regular checks. The first Friday evening, after she had helped Emma style her hair, she had arrived home from work and found Emma tightening the taps on her kitchen sink.  
“I just noticed they were dripping slightly.” Emma said, trying not to look too embarrassed. “It was no trouble.”  
Regina’s sharp eyes had noticed the empty packaging from the hardware store, meaning Emma had also brought parts to fix the taps. Instead of offering her money for the parts, like she wanted to, she had purchased an expensive bunch of flowers and presented them to Emma before she left on Monday morning.  
“They’re gorgeous.”  
“You should have time to take them home before you head to work.” Regina told her.  
“No way. These are going on my desk so that I can look at them all day.”  
“I don’t…”  
“It’s okay, I’m not going to tell anyone who they’re from. Unless… it’s not secretary’s day is it? If the flowers are…”  
“No. They’re a thank you from me to you.”  
“A thank you?”  
“A gift.” Regina amended, realising that she wanted them to be romantic.  
A thank you was something between friends. A gift between lovers was something special.  
“I’ve never had flowers before.”  
“Really?”  
“Well, a boy stole a pot plant for me once, but it died after a couple of days when I forgot to water it.”  
“I don’t suppose you have a vase to put them in?”  
“I’ll go out at lunchtime and pick something up. Until then I’ll fill a bucket or something…”  
“Here.” Regina reached into one of her cupboards and took out a glass vase. “You can use this.”  
“Thanks.” Emma put the flowers in and smiled at her. “Will they need water now or can it wait until I get to work?”  
Regina spent the next ten minutes explaining to Emma how to cut the stems and check the water temperature. When Emma asked if she could leave the flowers in Regina’s kitchen and pick them up after work, Regina surprised herself by agreeing.  
Now Emma came for dinner after work during the week. The new routine still didn’t include her staying the night, but Regina was sure it would only be a matter of time before she was persuaded to relax that rule.  
There was a knock on the door and Emma entered. “A bunch of us are heading to the diner for lunch. Do you want to come?”  
“No, thank you.”  
“Or I could bring you something back?”  
“I’ve got something in the fridge.”  
“Okay. I’ve switched the answer phone on out here.”  
Regina smiled at the way she was trying to find excuses to hang around in the doorway a little longer, it was a refreshing break looking at Emma instead of the computer screen, but she knew that it had to end eventually. “Enjoy your lunch.”  
Emma closed the door behind her and Regina turned back to the computer. There was a new email waiting in her inbox. It wasn’t from anyone she knew, but the subject line said “Emma Swan” so she couldn’t, not open it.  
As she scrolled down the blank screen she noticed the little paperclip symbol that meant there was an attachment. She held back a moment, worried that it was some kind of spam email, but those things wouldn’t be specific enough to know Emma’s name. Clenching her jaw, she moved the mouse and clicked.  
It was a photo. Of Emma, leaving her house and it was date and time marked. Regina automatically reached for her phone.  
“Sydney, my office. Now.”  
She hung up without waiting for a reply.  
-  
When Emma reached Regina’s house after work, she let herself in the usual way and went to wait in the kitchen She switched the kettle on and found two cups for their drinks. Regina had been a little quiet after lunch. She worked too hard. Maybe she could suggest getting away from the house this weekend and going to Regina’s favourite little café for a meal. As the front door opened Emma carried the two hot drinks out of the kitchen, to meet her. Regina just stared at her for a moment, as though she had forgotten Emma would be here.  
“Good day?” She asked, deciding not to mention the email to Emma.  
Sydney was working on locating the person responsible and she had confidence that he would find them. If he couldn’t, well… then she’d have to reconsider a few things.  
“Not bad. I’ve been thinking, maybe this weekend we could have lunch out.”  
“I don’t know…”  
“We could go to that place on the coast…”  
“I might have to work this weekend.”  
Emma couldn’t believe it. “Work?”  
“Yes.”  
“Do you need me to come to the office and help?” Emma passed her the drink once Regina had removed her coat.  
“No, I’ll manage. Perhaps you could make plans with Miss Lucas?”  
“Sure.”  
Dinner was awkward. Regina didn’t seem eager to make conversation and Emma was worried that she would say something wrong and make it worse. She carried her half-empty plate into the kitchen to follow Regina who had eaten even less of the dinner.  
“Tell me what’s wrong.” Emma suggested, setting her plate on the side and placing a hand on Regina’s arm.  
Regina melted back against her, but didn’t speak. Emma wrapped her arms around her and rested her head on Regina’s shoulder.  
“Whatever it is, it will be okay.” She tried again.  
Regina nodded, more to convince herself than Emma. “Why don’t you stay tonight?”  
“Really?”  
“Please.”  
“I’d love to.”  
Regina took Emma’s hand, linking their fingers and led them upstairs. They undressed without speaking when they entered the bedroom, leaving clothes where they fell. Emma grabbed Regina just below her shoulders and pulled her into a kiss, her nipples brushing against Regina’s. Regina’s knee slid between Emma’s legs, feeling the cold air at the back of her neck as she intensified the kiss. Emma loosened her hold and Regina took the opportunity to nudge her towards the wall, her hands low on Emma’s back.  
Once Emma was pressed against the wall, Regina moved her hands over Emma’s breasts, massaging them gently. She whispered into her ear, reminding her that it wasn’t the weekend and she still had to leave in the morning.  
“I know.” Emma promised. “No-one will see me.”  
Regina told herself that this might be the last time they could be together like this. If she had to give her up, Emma would be fine. She could always return to her old life while Regina would be stuck in Storybrooke. That was the small catch to her curse. While leaving town wouldn’t affect her memory, walking past the barrier would return everyone else’s memories. They would still be trapped here, but they would remember who she was. It would be best if Emma were the one to leave.  
She hoped Sydney had some answers for her in the morning. The only suspects were in the town. How hard could it be to narrow it down?

Chapter 43.

Emma paused in between typing to look at her visitor. The Sheriff smiled down at her and peered over the top of her computer screen to see what she was up to.  
“Graham, what are you doing here?”  
“Just my usually meeting with the mayor. Those the minutes from last Wednesday?”  
“Yeah, I got a little behind. I’ll check if she’s available.”  
Before Emma could use the intercom, the phone rang. She held up a hand to warn Graham not to try and head into Regina’s office until she’d checked with her and picked up the phone. Graham listened carefully and watched as Emma made some notes on a piece of paper, then smiled as she repeated part of the conversation back to the caller. Once she’d hung up he held out his hand.  
“Why don’t I take that in to Regina, save you the trouble.”  
“Let me just check…”  
“I know, I know. Go ahead.” He smiled casually as his mind began working on an idea.  
When he walked into Regina’s office a few minutes later, he was pleased with the mayor’s friendlier attitude. He dropped a few more compliments to her, remembering how well it had worked at the bar. On his way out, he reached into his pocket and crumpled the tiny piece of paper into a little ball. He smiled at Emma and waved as he headed for the exit.  
-  
Four hours later, Regina received an irate phone call through to her direct line. As the individual knew it was only for emergencies, she wasn’t prepared to deal with them and had no idea what they were talking about.  
“But I left a message for you to ring me back. This is urgent Mayor Mills and now…”  
“I’m sorry. You have my permission to go ahead, I’ll send something in writing now confirming your authorisation.”  
She spent another few minutes placating them further before they would get off the line and back to work. After composing herself and sending the email she had promised, she called Emma into her office.  
“What’s up?” Emma asked, smiling as she entered.  
Regina tried to control her voice. “Do you have any messages for me?”  
“No, I don’t think so.”  
“No telephone calls I may have missed?”  
Emma took a second to think. “Nothing since this morning. Why?”  
“Never mind.”  
“What happened?”  
“I just had a phone call from a city contractor asking why I hadn’t called back.”  
“I’m sorry, I know I made a note of it. Didn’t I bring it in?” Emma tried to remember exactly what time they had left the message.  
“It doesn’t matter, I’ve sorted it.”  
“You aren’t angry?”  
“It was a mistake.” Regina sounded as though she had made up her mind on the matter.  
“But I messed up.”  
“It happens.”  
“My messing up?”  
Regina shook her head. “You know that’s not what I meant.”  
“So you’re not going to yell at me?”  
“Emma, unless you did it on purpose, or had a habit of loosing my messages I’m not going to be angry.”  
“I don’t understand. Last week when Robert lost the report you wanted you…”  
“Robert is lazy. He didn’t loose the report, he never did it.”  
“Okay.” Emma backed up towards the door. “I’m sorry I forgot.”  
Regina nodded and turned back to her work. As the door closed behind Emma, she realised that she really wasn’t upset. She didn’t understand why she wasn’t. If it had been anyone else… Regina smiled.  
-  
Emma confronted Graham at the station as soon as she had finished work. He was sitting on his desk, throwing darts at the dartboard stuck to one wall when she entered.  
“Hey, Emma, what’s up?” He asked with a big smile when she entered.  
“Why the hell didn’t you give Regina the telephone message?”  
“Huh?”  
Emma wanted to reach out and grab him, but she knew it wouldn’t be a smart move. This was a small town and as the Sheriff he had a lot of power. She curled her hands into fists and kept them tucked against her sides.  
“This morning. You said you’d take in that tiny bit of paper. The one telling Regina to call the contractor back.”  
“Oh, that. Was it important? Once we started talking I completely forgot.”  
If he hadn’t still been smiling, Emma might have believed him. “Why would you want to make me look bad? I thought you wanted to be friends.”  
“I do.”  
“You’ve got a funny way of showing it.”  
“You know, Regina’s changed since you arrived.”  
“What?”  
“Yeah, the way she treated me and Kathryn, the way she acted when she went to the diner…”  
“People change.”  
“Not Regina. Ever since I’ve known her she’s been the same.”  
He wanted to confront her directly with Ruby’s suspicions. The waitress had been making comments for the past couple of days and the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Even if nothing had happened between the two women yet, it was only a matter of time.  
“You need to stay away from her.”  
“I beg your pardon?”  
“She’ll just break your heart, she can’t love anyone. She’ll string you along and use you... Just look at Sydney. Even if there’s nothing between you now…”  
“Look…”  
“She probably got him to run a background check on you.”  
“That’s part of the job. She had to know who she was hiring.”  
“Yeah, but Sydney wouldn’t have stopped with the basics. I bet she has a file on you. Everything from your first dentist appointment to the day you came here.”  
“You’re being ridiculous.”  
“I can prove it.”  
Emma didn’t want to believe him, but - “How?”  
“Give me a couple of days. I’ll find the evidence.”  
Frowning, Emma shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. You could falsify it, put a file together on your own and say it’s hers.”  
She turned away to leave. Graham put a hand on her arm.  
“Let go.” Her hand itched to grab him and push him away.  
Graham released her. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”  
“Sure, fine, whatever. Thanks.”  
Emma slammed the door on her way out.

Chapter 44.

“You’d better have some answers for me, Glass.” Regina warned him as she entered the room.  
The newspaper office was officially closed so Sydney was the only one there when she arrived. In most places they said the news never slept, but Storybrooke wasn’t busy enough to keep a full-time reporting staff working around the clock. Sydney was sitting at his computer when she entered.  
“M..m..Madame Mayor.” He stuttered, looking up.  
“Who was it?” She asked, slamming her hands down on the desk in front of him, making him jump.  
“I.. I don’t know. I couldn’t find out.”  
“Nonsense. That’s why I gave you this job. Now, tell me what I want to know.”  
“It would take time, a lot more time. I don’t…”  
“I don’t have time. Whoever’s trying to blackmail me with these…lies, they’re not going to wait around for you…”  
“I tried, but you’d need someone who understands this technology better than I do.”  
There was no-one in town fitting that description. She had never wanted to give anyone that kind of power. Realising Sydney was useless; she headed back out of the office. She was left with two suspects. Emma’s friend August, and Graham. She still didn’t know how August had been able to find Storybrooke or why he had suggested the job to Emma. At least if it was Graham, she could solve the problem easily.  
Regina drove out to the mausoleum. She searched among the golden caskets and pulled out Graham’s heart. It was time to remind him who was in charge.  
-  
Emma was waiting for Regina when she arrived home. She was sitting on the mayor’s doorstep as if she didn’t care who saw her. It wasn’t a good move. Regina was already stressed from trying to discover who her blackmailer was, and annoyed that the answer hadn’t been as simple as Sydney or Graham. At least they would have been easy to control. If it was this August person, she needed more information. Sydney’s last file had been incomplete.  
“What if someone saw you?” Regina hissed as she jammed her keys into the lock on the front door.  
“I needed to see you.”  
“Get inside, quick.”  
“I’m sorry…” Emma began as Regina closed the door behind them. “I…”  
“This isn’t a good time.”  
“I went to see Graham.”  
Regina paled, remembering how close she had just come to crushing the man’s heart in her hands. It was the closest she had come to magic in years. She had begun to feel like ‘The Queen’ again. Stopping herself had been hard, but she had managed. Now all she could feel was the hatred, which had begun to cool a little. Now she remembered who she really was and why she was here.  
“He said…”  
Regina interrupted her. “Is it really so important that you had to risk coming here and sitting outside my house advertising to the world that we’re…”  
“We’re what?”  
“…” Regina was at a loss for what to call their relationship.  
“Is it because I’m not good enough for you?”  
“Emma…”  
“Just tell me the truth!”  
“What do you want from me?”  
“I want to know how you really feel about me and if this is just a passing phase in your life that one day you’re going to walk away from without looking back. I want to know because I don’t want to get my heart broken if…”  
Maybe this was the moment she was supposed to break things off. It would be so easy to just let Emma go and push her into running away. She could see that the younger woman was preparing for her rejection and she was scared that she couldn’t do it.  
“I mess things up. It’s just something I can’t help. My mother…”  
“No. Don’t blame anyone else. If I’m the problem…”  
“You? God, Emma you’re practically perfect. If this was anywhere but Storybrooke, if…”  
“There’s a whole world out there.”  
“Not for me. Storybrooke is my home. I can’t leave.”  
“Why not? I don’t see anything holding you here. You can get a job as mayor anywhere you want, but I guess Graham was right.”  
She wanted the fight to be over, she wanted to avoid any reason to be unhappy. The funny thing was, all Regina wanted to do was walk away and leave. So that was what she started to do. Backing away from Emma, one step at a time, she tried blocking out the other woman’s words.  
Realising that small steps were just letting Regina get further away, Emma ran over to her and grabbed her arms.  
“Don’t go.”  
“I bet you’re the one who sent that email, To try and make me confess to everyone.” Regina accused her, shaking her off.  
“What?”  
“You know what I’m talking about. The email with the photos of us, together.”  
“I don’t…”  
“You’re trying to mess everything up for me. I liked my life, I’m happy here and I won’t let you take it away from me.”  
Of course, it wasn’t August. It had to be Emma blackmailing her. Wanting to make her change. Why hadn’t she seen it before?  
“Just get out. Out of my house, out of Storybrooke and out of my life.”  
Her hands were shaking.  
“Are you firing me?”  
Regina couldn’t bear to look at her.  
“I… I love you.” Emma’s voice changed as though she was preparing to cry.  
The words tore through Regina’s heart, but she only felt pain. Tears fell from her eyes.  
She heard the door open and close as Emma left.  
-  
The room was silent when Regina woke the next morning. She had fallen asleep on the couch; she couldn’t bear to face her room. It had become the place where she slept with Emma. Being there alone would be worse than an uncomfortable night downstairs, and down here she had her cider to help her sleep.  
Regina rubbed at her cheeks with the back of her fingers, removing the traces of dried tears. Emma had admitted getting nervous about trusting people too. She remembered the birthday party for Emma at the office. Emma had a way of getting her to join in and feel accepted, simply by being there and helping her. She never pried into the lack of pictures of her family, never…  
Not that it mattered any more. Emma was gone. Regina wasn’t even sure why.  
-  
Two days passed. Regina finally left the house to meet Kathryn at the diner for lunch. She had called into work, telling them she was taking some time off. Emma hadn’t answered the phone and she hadn’t dared to ask if she was there. Regina half-hoped her stubbornness would keep her around, at least until she could find some proof that Emma wasn’t the one trying to blackmail her. She wasn’t sure she could trust her until she knew the truth.  
Kathryn didn’t comment on Regina’s appearance. She had never seen her look this way for as long as she had known her.  
“Your usual?” Ruby asked Kathryn with a smile.  
“Sure.”  
“Madame Mayor?” Ruby’s smile remained professional, but Regina could tell the difference as she nodded.  
She wondered what Emma had told her. Regina picked up a napkin as Kathryn began talking about her day. She didn’t realise she had begun picking little pieces off from around the edges until Ruby returned with their drinks and she had to push the shredded pieces out of the way.  
-  
Emma sat in the diner kitchen. Ruby had asked her to return to her seat outside, saying Granny would have a fit if she found her in there, but Emma had begged her to let her stay.  
“Just while Regina’s here. I can’t face her.”  
It had been impressive, watching how quickly Emma had ducked through the back door when Regina began crossing the road towards the diner.  
“At least make yourself useful,” Ruby told her, tossing her a towel. “That way I have an excuse for Granny.”  
Emma mumbled something about needing to look for a new job, but Ruby pretended not to hear. She had customers to serve and whatever was going on between Emma and the mayor was none of her business. Hopefully it would stay that way. She didn’t want to get caught up in that kind of trouble. Unfortunately, the diner was quiet and the sounds from the booths were easily carried back into the kitchen. Granny had always maintained that it was just her good hearing, which allowed her to know what was going on in her diner. Emma was about to find out for herself.

Chapter 45.

“Good news.” Graham said, leaving his table and coming to sit next to Kathryn.  
Regina wasn’t sure she wanted to deal with him right then, but he’d sat down blocking Kathryn in and she hadn’t stopped him.  
“What’s that?” Kathryn asked him with an eager gaze.  
“I hear …”  
Regina was too busy hoping her friend wasn’t falling in love with the Sheriff to hear what he said. She thought Kathryn had better taste than that.  
Eventually they noticed she wasn’t paying attention to them and Kathryn nudged her foot under the table.  
“I’m sorry.” Regina forced out the apology, wondering how much longer Kathryn’s lunch break would be.  
“What’s wrong? This is your first real break from work since I’ve known you, why aren’t you more relaxed?”  
“I had to let E.. Miss Swan go.”  
Kathryn raised an eyebrow. “What?”  
“There just wasn’t enough work to warrant her position. She’ll probably be back in New York by now.”  
“I saw her in here yesterday. No wonder she looked upset when she was talking to the waitress.”  
Emma was still here?  
“Good for you.” Graham sounded a little too pleased. “That girl never seemed to know what she was doing, making more work for you...”  
“You practically had to hold her hand…” Kathryn added.  
Regina tuned them out as they gave their opinions. She wanted to stand up for Emma, but she was still so confused. All she could think about were the things Emma had done for her and the good memories of the times they had spent together.  
“And the way that girl looked at you…” Kathryn finished, with a shake of her head. “God, is that the time? I’m going to be late!”  
Regina blinked and noticed a half-eaten plate of salad in front of her. When had that arrived? Graham walked Kathryn to the door while Regina finished her coffee. By the time she was ready to leave, they were gone.  
Ruby stopped her as she stood. “I can’t believe you let them talk about Emma like that.”  
“Miss Lucas…”  
“No, I saw the way you treated Emma when you were here or when I delivered lunches to your office. She was always sticking up for you, running your little errands like some kind of slave, and you treated her like a child. Did you ever bother to thank her, or pause to reconsider firing her?”  
“That is none of your business.”  
“She’s my friend.”  
Regina pushed past her and headed outside, reaching for her cell as it began to ring.  
-  
Emma had moved about the kitchen slowly, trying to work out where everything went once it had been washed and dried. She listened to the voices as they filtered through. She waited for Regina to stick up for her. To say something that showed she still cared. With every moment that passed, she felt more and more depressed. Eventually, she threw the towel down on the side and headed out through the back door of the diner.  
Clearly the mayor didn’t think she was good enough. That was fine. She would go back to New York and find someone who would appreciate her. Someone who wouldn’t hide their relationship in the shadows, or accuse her of the most ridiculous things…  
She should have listened when Ruby tried to tell her Graham liked Regina. Despite what Regina had told her, it seemed as though she could stand to be around him.  
Emma headed back to the B&B to pack her bags.  
-  
Sydney finally had some information for her. Regina listened as he explained that he had been able to track the blackmailers location to the B&B, but reminded her that anyone could use their wifi, even someone sitting in a car just outside. She took a detour on her way home, unable to recall exactly who lived at Granny’s. She confirmed from the road outside that she could get a signal for their wifi, and then went inside, intending to view their register.  
Emma was walking down the stairs, carrying a suitcase in one hand with a duffel bag slung over the other shoulder. She paused for a second when she saw Regina standing behind the welcome desk, and then continued her descent.  
“I guess this is goodbye.” Emma told her, placing her key on the desk.  
“If you need a reference…”  
“I’m sure my previous jobs will suffice.”  
“You were a good PA.”  
“Except when you had to hold my hand?” Emma frowned. “I was at the diner earlier. I heard you talking to Kathryn and Graham.”  
“Their words, not mine.”  
“You didn’t correct them, so is that how you saw it?”  
“I am willing to write you a reference, a good one, should you require it.”  
“Back to being formal with me?” Emma shook her head. “Come on, Regina…”  
“I’m sure that as soon as you leave town you will forget about Storybrooke, so it won’t matter what I say now.”  
Emma looked hopeful. “You still want me to go?”  
For a moment, Regina seemed to be thinking about her reply. “I think it best.”  
“Then I wish you luck.”  
Regina’s brow creased as she found herself confused. “You do?”  
“We had some really great times together. I’m sad it didn’t work out, but… maybe you can find happiness with someone else. Someone you can be seen with in public. Maybe start a family with, I think you’d be a great mother.”  
Regina found herself frozen to the ground in shock. She watched Emma walk away, wondering how someone could be so nice to her, after everything that had happened between them.  
-  
Emma had taken one look at the bus stop, trying to remember if she had ever seen a bus pass through Storybrooke, before heading over to the local garage to ask Ruby’s friend if he could give her a lift to the edge of town. When she’d called for a taxi, there had been some kind of problem and the closest she could get them to agree to pick her up was from just outside the town. Billy’s truck got a flat tyre as the ‘leaving Storybrooke’ sign came into view.  
-  
The garage was empty and there was a sign on the door saying that Billy would be back in about half an hour. Leroy walking past saw Ruby waiting and told her that he’d gone with Emma, and that she had a suitcase with her.  
Ruby ran all the way back to the B&B. Emma’s key was lying on top of the reception desk.  
“No!” Ruby stomped her foot.  
It wasn’t supposed to happen.  
“Miss Lucas?” Regina came out from the back room.  
“What are you doing here? Emma’s leaving town.”  
“I no longer require a PA.”  
“But you…” Ruby paused before she could finish her thought.  
“I what?”  
“I thought you’d want her to stay. For more personal reasons.”  
“Like friendship?”  
“Because you were lovers.” She blurted out, knowing Regina was testing her.  
Regina nodded once. “I assume you sent the email then, and not Miss Swan.”  
“Um…”  
“The internet connection used came from this B&B.”  
“Fine, so what? I just wanted Emma to be happy and I could see all that hiding wasn’t so I figured it was time I did something about it.”  
“Because of your actions, I fired her. ”  
“You weren’t supposed to!”  
“Really? That’s not what your email implied.”  
Ruby rolled her eyes. “I thought you’d choose love. It’s not like anyone would care that the two of you were seeing each other. You’re the mayor, people are scared of you enough that they wouldn’t say anything even if they had a problem with it. Look, I’m sorry. Just, go get Emma and I promise I won’t say anything. I’ll delete the photos too.”  
“You’re too late. Emma’s gone.”  
“Then call her and stop her.”  
Regina looked at her watch. “It’s too late. She’ll be just about to cross out of Storybrooke now and when she does...” Regina watched as Ruby’s face relaxed and she suddenly smiled.  
“Madame Mayor, how can I help you?”  
As if Emma had never existed. And to Emma, Storybrooke would just be another town, one which would eventually fade to a faint memory. It wasn’t supposed to exist in this world and the magic which protected it had it’s own way to ensure that happened.  
“Good day, Miss Lucas.” Regina headed for the front door, pleased when Ruby automatically stepped out of her way.  
Now things could go back to normal.  
-  
AN: To be continued in part 2, which will be entitled: Emma’s Return (at least until I can think of a better name for it)…


End file.
